


Cattail

by SeasonalTea



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College AU, F/M, Female Reader, Get ready for spooky times, Reader Insert, Reposting more old work sorry, Supernatural - Freeform, This was my magnum opus way back tho and I don't want to lose it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-03-30 23:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19037335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeasonalTea/pseuds/SeasonalTea
Summary: The world never existed in harmony, but dissonance. Most people never saw what there was outside of their plane, but some were gifted–or cursed–to see the overlapping worlds. Little things like this always brought attention from the wrong crowds.Those copper irises watched you with the same fierce intensity as before. You could feel his breath wash over the sensitive skin of your lips as the Bakeneko spoke."And I've found myself a valuable bride."





	1. Tulip

**Author's Note:**

> Hello I'm back to post some more old stuff //waves Hopefully I'll have something new soon but I've been preoccupied with other things. For those that haven't read this before, hope you enjoy!
> 
> [OLD NOTES]  
> There's a lot of my personal interests and love that's been poured into this, so I hope everyone will enjoy it (that's your warning for Japanese culture jokes and wordplay the latter of which I'll keep in English, but add as endnotes when they happen). Relevant characters will be added to the character list as the story is updated and, just as a precaution, I added all applicable warnings even though they're vague spoilers.  
> Also, I'll use the notes to explain details that won't be otherwise touched in-story. First up is the title: Cattail. I originally chose "Cat's Tongue" as the title as some of you might have seen on my profile for some time, but I felt it didn't fit the overall theme. I was later noting down possible "Cat (blank)" titles and mistyped "Cattail" at one point. I remembered then that a cattail was a type of flower and I'm a huge sucker for flower language and Hanakotoba. The meaning that I found of the cattail tied in really well with how I viewed my story's plot and ending, so it ended up becoming the title and from there came the chapter names as well! I'll talk about that next time, though.  
> Chapter content is predetermined and that influences their length, so I'm sorry that this one is so short, but I intended for it to be no more than an introduction. Thanks to everyone who opened up this work of mine and I hope you guys will stick with me for what's to come!

            Summer-styled sandals tapped against the cracked and crumbling concrete floor.  Methodically, the corkwood to cement contact echoed as you languidly travelled the half-built apartment complex.  Even with the bright light of the high season sun, areas with properly erected walls and ceilings blocked out the intense light and thus required you to aid yourself with a flashlight.  Your free hand would add to the beat of your steps periodically as you aired out your shirt in the summer heat.  A frown pulled at your lips at every spike in your body temperature and threatened to stay as your irritation mounted.  You wore a layer—maybe two—too many for the level of heat, but the abandoned apartment complex construction site you currently explored should have been far cooler than the present situation.  Besides the occasional cold spot due to architectural reasons, the atmosphere was far too normal.  Naturally, one would expect for an incomplete building to be as sweltering as the rest of the outside day, but that was expected of people who did not notice the residents of abandoned complexes.  That was what you were in search for; the abnormalities that caused a chilled shiver in the air.  
            You clicked your tongue and sighed before easing your pent up stress in a loud grumble, "Just where the hell are the ghosts?!"

* * *

            "And so, before today's lecture ends, I have one more announcement for everyone: you have a summer assignment!" Dusty chalk scraped a final line as the professor finished speaking, the white streak highlighted the distastefully messy characters drawn on an expansive blackboard.  
            Varying levels of disappointment and resentment were made known in the lecture seating.  One particular person seemed to scream and throw their notebook against the wall while another was trying to rip the chair’s fold out desk from its ball joint.  You hardly cared for other's discord, however, as you were busy fighting off the urge to gouge out your own two eyes at the lecturer's torturous snipe on your precious holidays.  
            "I swear university students only get whinier with every semester.  Just two years ago, while you were all still in high school, none of you would have dared make a sound!  Also, you there!  The one in the Kamen Rider shirt!!  This university has a no seppuku policy on campus so you put that pen down right now!"  
            Your fingertips hovered slightly closer to your face.  Just a couple more centimetres and you would have a legitimate reason to live off of government aid for the rest of your life.  You could do it!  
            "At least let me explain your homework before you all act like a bunch of overworked ecchi harem series animators." The couple dozen or so bodies finally settled and paid attention.  You were pretty sure everyone was just getting sick of the teacher's obnoxious comparisons and unsavoury language in general. “I'm sure you'll all have fun with this one, so don't get stressed over a little holiday work!  Your assignment for the next month and a half will be to write a short story.  This is a creative writing class after all, so I'm not sure what else anyone was actually expecting.  The requirements are simple and very open: write a story of at least five thousand characters based on somewhere or something substantial from your vacation.  It'll be due the first day back and anything goes within legal means.  As a special treat, I'll also be accepting erotica!"  
            You joined the wave as your entire class immediately exited the hall without a single glance at the lecturer.

* * *

            Corkwood soles slapped harshly against the heated cement as your frustration bled into your every movement.  You turned a corner into the inner areas of the barren complex and sighed roughly as the torchlight in hand only illuminated a short dead end.  With every empty hall and room you encountered, your confidence in writing a good story in the little time left for the summer continued to deplete itself.  Instead, assignment anxieties began to fill the space in your chest, but that was not all.  Some other worry nagged at your thoughts and influenced your less than steady movement, though you could not seem to pin down the exact concern.  The constant finds of absolutely nothing, however, were a very defined issue.  If need be, you could force yourself to write from imagination, but getting first hand details from an otherworldly entity was far less work and more reliable for whatever plot and world you would use.  Especially when you were working on crunch time thanks to an undesirable habit of procrastination.  With another sigh, you turned heel and prepared to head up another level in your exploration.  
            "Meow."  
            "Wh-What?" You jumped along with your startled gasp and swung your light wildly across the hall until it illuminated the source of the scare. “A cat...huh."  
            The scruffy looking feline replied with another mew.  There was no indication of any sort of collar and its dark fur seemed too unkempt for a domestic pet, so you easily assumed the animal to be a stray that took refuge in the run down building.  Though spiritually sensitive, you were not particularly superstitious, but being stared down by those dark amber eyes was quite unnerving.  Still, you maintained eye contact in hopes that the lithe animal would either be warded off or lose interest.  Since you would come into contact with the supernatural, animals either hated or loved you; quite fiercely at that.  At the very least, the cat did not seem to be of the hostile bias as it started to approach you.  
            "Mrrrow."  
            "What are you-ah!  Hey, that tickles!" you squeaked slightly and shuffled back a little as the feline started to curl around your shins.  The low rumble of its purr echoed within the concrete space.  When the animal started butting its head against your ankles, you crouched down with a sigh and cautiously began to scratch behind its ears.  As the resounding purrs deepened, you had to admit that the cool feeling of its soft fur was relaxing.  
            "A friendly one, huh?  Well, it's better than being attacked.  I just hope you don't follow me home like some others have.  I may live alone now, but I can’t take care of you." After a few more seconds of head scratches, you stood back up and continued with your exploration of the construct.  A glance back confirmed that the small animal was the kind to follow you.  A sigh passed your lips.  
            Time ran its course while you and your new companion searched floor after floor for some sort of irregularity or abnormality, but to no avail.  The rhythm of your footfalls started to resound in your head like clockwork by the time you were somewhere within the top six stories of the floor plan.  With the would-have-been apartments being designated more and more space with each upper level, there became less halls to navigate and the journey up flight after flight of stairs became more and more frequent.  Silently, you would count off your rising steps in time with the musical common beat.  
            One-and-two-and-three-and-  
            "Ah, this must be the roof door."  
            "Maaaow."  
            The huff that left you was heavily weighed with disappointment, but also the tiniest bit of hope.  There were aberrations that simply enjoyed the highest roosts of a building, so perhaps you would prove lucky and your venture fruitful.  The rusty metal squeaked and screeched shrilly as you slowly forced it open.  The door was so rusted that you ended up throwing your weight against it a couple of times before the hinges loosened.  In the corner of your eye, you noticed your black companion slip through the gap you had managed thus far.  One more solid push later and you were also granted passage.  
            The lukewarm breeze of the sunset greeted you to the half-built roof completely devoid of both life and afterlife.  
            "What the hell..." you muttered under the sound of wind-rustled tarps. "Is this place really empty?  But that doesn't make any sense at all.  Abandoned buildings like this are practically a treasure trove for haunts and those other things." You clicked your tongue.  
            Thoroughly perturbed, you made your way as far out as the half-open flooring allowed and slowly swept your gaze across the entire space.  As you first thought, the place was empty.  There was simply and absolutely nothing here.  
            "An abandoned yet devoid building should not be possible, but there really doesn't seem to be any...thi..." you trailed off as a shiver ran down your spine despite the warm temperatures.  The building was not absolutely and completely empty, you realised.  
            "Where is that cat?!" You whipped your head around, but there were no signs whatsoever of the scruffy feline.  The roof was completely flat save for the doorway and the holes in the floor.  The idea that the lithe animal had simply jumped down to a lower level was a fragile excuse that floated in your mind; one that a rich and deep voice from directly next to your ear shattered.  
            " _Meow_."

* * *

_-We want to see what no one else sees and explore the unknown_

_That doesn't mean we make it back to share what we have discovered-_


	2. Sweet Williams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I'm so sorry for the formatting discrepancies between chapters, but I don't have the original html formatting anymore and for some reason the rich text editor willfully decides whether to use paragraphs or page breaks. I don't have the mental strength to reformat everything...
> 
> [OLD NOTES]  
> I forgot to mention this in the chapter one notes, so another thing about the story title: it's also based off of Kuroo's name, as are the chapter titles. The kanji for "Kuroo" (黒尾) literally means "black tail" which is where the "cat tail" idea first came from. Since I went with a flower title, I went on to name all of the chapters after flowers, however, I specifically used flowers that could come in a "black" variety. Finding ones with a fitting meaning for each chapter was a little tough, but it all worked out in the end.  
> Also, I spent forever digging around for raws of the early Haikyuu!! chapters just to confirm, and it turns out Kenma refers to Kuroo as "Kuro" (クロ). I always thought it was weird for Kenma to use his last name and I finally found out he technically uses a nickname, hah. Anyways, here we go with chapter two! There's some wordplay in here that'll I'll detail in the end notes (be prepared there will be more in later chapters eheh), so enjoy!

_The murky water pulled at the young man's legs and weighed them to an almost immobile state. Desperately did he force his sore muscles to move even just the slightest bit forward. The shortest of rests would only open him to the grip of the ghouls below and that would mean nothing short of the end._

_He could not allow that. Anything but defeat! The bouquet he carried must be delivered to his friend's grave, the boy reaffirmed._

_Resolve alight in his heart, Akito gripped the gathered cattails firmly and slogged determinedly through the heavy mud that sucked at his feet. Relentless, the ragged boy let out a shout—no, a roar—filled with his rawest feelihfbe/?o;anz_

You flinched and slammed your hands into the keyboard resting in front of you as metal, plastic, and you did not want to know what else clattered and crashed beyond your room door. You let out a strangled mix of a hiss and a groan. What came next was as you expected and only served to further aggravate you.

"Hey, little miss, I think I might have broken something. Again," a clearly amused voice called from the room over. The low snicker that followed brought your fingers near your eyes on reflex in reaction to the boiling fury within you.

Restraining your itching nails, you stood from your low-rise computer desk and roughly slid the shoji door to your room open.

“Just what did you do this time, cat?"

"Get you to pay attention to me again, nyahoho," was the goading answer from within the mess that was your apartment. Every last piece of your non-fragile crockery lay astray across the kitchen floor and even spilled into the adjoined living room. After the state of your home thoroughly soaked itself into your mind, you turned an absolutely dead stare down towards the one responsible.

"Aw, what's with that absolutely chilling look, princess? For the past three days, that seems to be the only thing you give me. I'm the type who gets lonely easily, you know, so I'll die without proper attention," the rowdy guest continued to tease you from his place on the floor. Amidst the absolute chaos was a man around your own age spread along his stomach quite comfortably on the tatami mats while his feet swayed in the air and the two-toothed wooden geta adorning his feet threatened to fly off at any time. His red and brown-trimmed yukata was adorned so sloppily it could get difficult to actually look at him as the cloth rode up his thighs. The collar was wide open and you could see a simplistic orange branch and leaf pattern tattoo climbing over the male’s shoulder that tapered off along his neck and clavicle. The beginning of the design curled around his left forearm and poked out from under his sleeve when he moved and two bands of the same orange ink circled his right wrist. As you gritted your teeth, the dark mess of his hair rustled, or rather, the slim, triangular black ears nestled among the choppy locks did. A similarly coloured tail that extended out from under the edge of his clothes flicked itself as well.

"You can go and die for all I care, you stupid cat. I've had a lot of things follow me home before, but an annoying spirit is definitely the worst ever!"

* * *

A strangled gasp tore past your lips and you tried to step away from whatever was behind you, only to trip over your own feet.

"Oh, whoa there! Did I really scare you that badly? I guess you're not so fearless after all, little miss, heheh," the voice behind your practically purred in amusement as large hands caught you by the shoulders. The icy chill that ran through you from the contact shocked your body out of its stupor and allowed you to finally put some distance between yourself and whatever you were dealing with. Entities that could sneak up on you were terrible on your nerves.

As you caught your breath after the earlier shock, you turned to take a look at what sort of abnormality you had run into. Instead of a creature that should have been about two meters away, you stared into a pair of sharp, amber eyes, though one was partially hidden by what you guessed was ink black hair. You opened you mouth to utter something to get your personal space back when the human-like irregularity sniffed you and backed off on his own with a rather disgusted expression.

"Ah, damn! Those gross foxes have their scent all over you, but at least they haven't actually done anything. Still, fox is not a pleasant smell at all," the creature complained gruffly. Apart from ghosts, you had only encountered human-bodied demons a handful of times before, but never like this.

"I'm not following you, uh, sir," you tried, albeit uncertainly, to respond to the male. If you judged his human form’s appearance, the entity would have been a young man about the same age as yourself, maybe a bit younger if his tall height was misleading you. Still, he was anything but human as oval pupils, dilated in the retreating light, blinked at you.

"Hmm? I thought I scared you pretty badly earlier? You recover fast." You noticed a pair of cat ears atop the abnormality's head flick as he spoke. As you figured, he really was the feline that followed you throughout the building.

"I wasn't scared so much as surprised. Also, having a cat spirit sniff me all of a sudden makes it hard to...well, do anything," you answered somewhat flatly. The whole situation was hardly normal, but there was little left for you that could truly stupefy you anymore when it came to the otherworldly kind. The cat entity's tail lashed out from under his clothes, a messy yukata that may or may not have been red but looked somewhat purple in the setting sun, as he scoffed.

"Hey now, I'm a Bakeneko. And aren't you quite comfortable talking to a creature known to eat people in the past? Maybe I really will follow you home like you said earlier." Not even the rooftop gales could drown out the cat's snickering as the meaning of his words started to sink in.

* * *

"I've never had much of a bias concerning pets, but I am very much becoming a dog person right now," you grumbled as you settled back on the ground and in front of your work table and laptop. After a laborious twenty minutes of picking up and reorganising your strewn about dishes, you finally set back to work on your summer assignment. At the very least, you tried to, anyways.

"Mistress, I'm hungry. Do you have any grilled mackerel pike?" the black cat drawled from behind you as he rolled about the tatami floor of your room. You pressed the full stop key with perhaps a little too much force as you finished a short sentence.

"No, I don't. Why don't you go grab some yourself—and while you're at it, don't come back!" you hissed tersely before returning to the work at hand. There remained only a scant two days before classes resumed and you only had about two thousand characters out of the necessary five thousand written. To top it off, your experiences with the Bakeneko behind you were useless for a proper tale so you were winging the whole assignment. You had reached the climax of your first draft, but not a single satisfactory idea of what was to actually happen thereafter would come to you.

"Yeesh, I didn't think you'd be such a harsh princess. Don't be so mean to a cute kitty like me. What if I let you play with my ears? You humans love this kind of stuff, um, what was it...nekomimi? C'mon, you can't resist!" The cat's lilting teasing drilled annoyingly into your mind, but you were hardly one to miss a beat when making a retort.

"If I have your permission then, I'll gladly rip off those irritating flaps of flesh right from your scalp."

"Too strong! How can you casually threaten a man-eating demon so easily, yikes!" Despite his complaints, the abnormality came to sit right beside your low work desk as you continued to type.

"It's not like you're going to do anything to me past being an annoying stray," you responded without even a glance his way.

"And what makes you say that now?" The question was a simple and expected one, but it managed to divert your attention to the entity. The clicking of keys slowed to a pause before you retracted your hands into your lap with a sigh. You mulled over what details of your life to actually indulge the cat with before you replied.

"I was born, I guess, 'spiritually sensitive' as people would call it. I saw ghosts on nearly a daily basis since I could remember. Eventually, I got so used to it that I tried talking to some of them and they were pretty nice. The conversation topics could get a little droll, but they were just like the grandmas and grandpas of the neighbourhood. Demons and spirits like you weren't much different. Some could have detestable personalities"—your eyes narrowed accusingly as the cat in question simply gave a lopsided grin—“but it was all the same. None of them ever tried to hurt me in any way. You were no different on the roof. Actually, you even caught me when I was about to fall, remember? If you wanted me to be scared, you should have set up a more fitting first impression, stupid cat."

"If I knew I would be dealing with someone like you, maybe I would have. And wow, that was such a magnificent use of your one and a half years of specialised linguistic education. All that money spent just to call me a stupid cat," the irregularity congratulated you lazily, but his words caught your attention.

"Wait, how do you know I'm a language arts major? Or that I'm a second year student?" Monster cat or not, that was creepy and somewhat worrying for him to know.

"Don't start acting like I'm a stalker or something. I am a cat after all, so while you were busy cleaning up I went through your school bag. Your notes are quite well organised and labelled I must say." The snicker that followed was a sound that you were far too familiar with by now.

"Now you're doing this on purpose! I can't believe I'm going along with this stupid act you damn dunce cat!"

"Oh, nice retort!" As the Bakeneko gave you a cheesy double pistol pose and that ever-smug grin, you nearly hurled your laptop right at his head.

"What did I do to deserve this in all honesty? Do you have a grudge against me? I barely ever interact with people whether they’re dead or alive so it’s not like I ever wronged someone. Am I just unlucky? Or are you really simply this irritating of an existence?" you groaned dejectedly into your hands as your body bowed into your own lap. Dealing with either people or entities could be exhausting for you, but you had never been this drained by a single exchange. The cat's grin thinned itself into a smirk.

"It's your own fault. It's good you can remain calm with the unordinary, but you're too lax and irresponsible with the otherworldly. You never even bothered to learn how to deal with 'annoying' ones like me. Tsk tsk, young lady," he chided you. Part of you wanted to spit some choice words at the cat for assuming what sort of life you lived before meeting him, but your displeasure in revealing personal information was stronger.

"What's irresponsible is whoever let you roam free. And I very much disagree with your conclusion." It was a lukewarm argument, but you still glared defiantly at the Bakeneko who only chuckled.

"Even though you're letting me loaf around in your home? Black cats are bad luck, you know."

You grit your teeth, but did your best to reply evenly. "I've already tried kicking you out, but you keep sneaking back in somehow. I really do prefer dogs at this point," you sighed drearily. For whatever reason, your unwanted guest let the banter die, but you were grateful for it.

Your head started to ache and the assignment in front of you was barely in mind at that point. Actually, your brain was drifting so far away that you took a few solid moments to realise that a thumping noise echoed within your room. You lifted your gaze and tried to find the source, only to vaguely see something tap repeatedly against your windowpane. When you turned back to see a lazy smirk adorning the Bakeneko's face, you quickly realised that he definitely knew what was going on. A part of you disliked the idea of asking him, but the continuous thumps against the glass had now risen to a very worrying banging.

"We are on the third level of this building so just what is that?" You received his usual toothy grin before the cat entity stood and padded over to your room window.

"A friend," he answered and slid the glass open.

"Kuro...you took too long. I'm tired," a weary voice floated in from outside.

"Yeah yeah, sorry about that, Kenma," the dark-haired oddity replied as reached out and down past the window frame. When his arm came back up you were not expecting anything in particular, but when another pair of cat ears came into view, the urge to dig your fingers into your eye sockets was almost overwhelming.

* * *

_-They say that black cats are cursed with the world's darkness_

_I think their colour is proof of the sadness they've endured-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bakeneko = monster cat > Baka-neko = stupid cat > Boke*-neko = dunce cat  
> *Boke is the role name for the "funny man" in a Manzai comedy act while Tsukkomi is the "straight man" who typically makes some sort of one-liner retort in response to the Boke being unreal or idiotic (boke is also used as an insult in reference to one's intelligence i.e. Kageyama's "dumbass [boke] Hinata"). As a side not, Kuroo's "nice retort" line was actually meant to be "nice tsukkomi", but that would probably be pushing it.


	3. Dahlia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> Honestly, when I first planned this story I wanted to set the contents and pace to be like a one-cour original anime, but that plan didn't exactly hold up the whole way after I started writing. Anyways, the plot is finally going to pick up from here on so I hope everyone will enjoy the ensuing ride. It's been fun to write I can assure you.  
> In other news, I am absolutely terrible at remembering where things are and what designs look like even though I'm conscious of keeping it consistent, so have some Bakeneko reference sheets for [[Kuroo]](https://i.gyazo.com/bed677469bf4fe6f3210449820c813d3.png) and [[Kenma]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtdkgzKCcAEwFfG.png:large). It's a little further in the chapter, but [[here's another helpful visual]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BttdeUYCEAA0vAL.png:large) if you'd like. There's also another wordplay joke in here which was made purely by accident at first and then I kept it because it gave me an excuse for laughing Kenma.

            As a person aware of otherworldly happenings and beings that the vast majority of the population could not notice, your expectations and personal experiences could be a little different from most other people's.  For you, it was rare to be truly alone outside of your own home.  Some possibly unsightly but relatively harmless, if not maybe annoying, things could appear at quite inopportune moments.  Much of your childhood was spent coping with your somewhat estranged situation and learning to not cause incidents due to the nonliving surprises.  If you were to put it bluntly, you believed yourself to be on a somewhat different plane of thinking from others.

            None of that unique experience and thinking, however, could help you calmly deal with having two mostly human-bodied Bakeneko sitting comfortably in your apartment living room.

            After your imposing housemate had literally pulled his acquaintance into your room through the window, all while the place being on the third floor, you had walked out to the living room and ceased your earlier snide remarks while you sat limply in front of the coffee table.  Your face was buried against your arms as you lay half atop the wooden furniture piece.  In all honesty, you were simply exhausted and had no energy to try to deal with two home invading entities dressed in similarly plain yukata and adorned with cat features.  Your obvious disinterest and disregard seemed to unnerve the newer of your two uninvited guests.

            "Um, Kuro..." the more recent cat whispered over to your dark-haired house intruder.  The addressed entity sighed and poked the crown of your head experimentally with a claw-tipped finger.

            "Hey now, little miss, you're scaring poor Kenma over here.  You were so energetic earlier so, what now?  Cat got your tongue?" Not even his usual ridiculing snicker managed to get a rise out of you.  Something, however, did catch your attention.

            "Kenma...?  Kuro...?" you mumbled to yourself under your breath until it clicked in your mind and your head lifted. "Are those names?  You guys have names?" You blinked in unbridled surprise at the recently dubbed cats.

            "Ah, actually, it's 'Kuroo', but c'mon now.  That was plain rude, princess, of course we have names.  Did you think we went around just being called 'Bakeneko' or 'cat'?  An entire race being individually addressed by their group name isn't a very smart idea." The ink-haired male snorted derisively before lightly tapping your forehead for extra measure.  You flinched at the cold touch.

            "Well, I suppose a slightly air-headed side to you is cute, too," Kuroo teased.  You frowned and turned away as the usual teasing grin adorned the male's face.

            "Anyways, you're Kenma, right?" You turned to the smaller of the two abnormalities who flinched slightly at your attention, but nodded in reply.  His ochre irises flicked this way and that, never connecting gazes with you for long, if at all.  It seemed like the male could be swallowed by and disappear into his brown and black-accented yukata, the lapels crossed left over right like the other cat’s.  He sat with his legs close to his body and you could see numerous scarlet, inked-in veins crawling down his left leg.  When the male pushed a stray lock from his face, the same tattoo bands that Kuroo sported also wrapped around Kenma’s left wrist, though in red like his vein pattern.  Seemingly opposite of the dark-haired cat next to him, the feeble impression Kenma gave made you feel a little less irritated with his presence and almost a bit guilty even at how uncomfortable the boy acted.  He looked slightly younger and seemed like a far easier type to deal with than Kuroo, at least.

            “Do you mind telling me why you're here?  I can only hope you'll say that you're taking this other cat back with you," you half-pleaded with the dual-haired boy.  Kenma's oddly blond locks yet dark brown roots and ears made you wonder if even human-bodied irregularities followed trends.  That the cat could even dye his hair to begin with was somewhat curious, but those thoughts were getting derailed from the matter at hand.

            "Ah, kind of, actually," Kenma half mumbled and sent a wary glance at the other aberration.  Kuroo leaned back on the palm of his hands with a slight huff.

            "I don't have any reason to leave, though.  On the contrary, I finally found what I was looking for, Kenma.  You can't seriously be asking me to just ditch when the prize is right in front of me, are you?" The hard scowl that twisted Kuroo's mouth was a new, and maybe a little frightening, expression to you.  The smaller male frowned slightly in return.

            "It's dangerous to stay in one place." Though he was soft spoken, Kenma leaned forward and his tone clearly expressed an expectation that his friend already knew that information.  Said friend only huffed once more and now rested an elbow upon the round table as he slumped slightly and his black ears curved out in a show of displeasure.

            "I've lived long enough to know how to get under the radar.  You worry too much, so I'm telling you for sure that things will be totally fine, all right?" As the two entities stared each other down, you decided you could spare to be elsewhere.

            "Well, you two obviously have things to discuss, so I'm going back to work on my assignment before I end up having to pull an all-nighter right before classes start.  If you're leaving, please go ahead and simply do so.  By all means, don't stay," you relayed your sentiments soundly and stood from your seat on the floor.  Both Kuroo and Kenma shot you a look from the other side of the low table.

            "You're so cold.  Really, you should fix that part of yourself before you really offend someone," the dark-haired cat remarked somewhat petulantly.  You simply offered an off-handed wave.

            "Other's opinions are rarely a concern of mine—especially since I usually know them for just a few minutes.  In the end, I'm only being honest.  And if we're talking about being cold, the biggest offender is you.  Your skin feels like ice and I'd rather you don't touch me to begin with, Kurooo."

            "Hey now, that's one too many 'o's.  What would that make me?  A giant black blob?" Dark-furred ears and tail flicked irately.

            "A slime, huh?  That would be kind of nice, using you as experience fodder that I can obliterate over and over." You tapped your lips as a coy smile spread beneath your fingertips.  It might have been your imagination, but Kenma seemed to hold back a small fit of laughter.  Before Kuroo could continue the banter, however, wooden knocks resounded from the front entrance and interrupted the conversation.

            "Excuse me?  It's the landlady.  It seems things have been a little rowdy for the past couple of days so I've been asked to check with you.  Can you please answer the door?" A few more taps followed after the middle-aged voice.  A mixed sigh of relief and displeasure left you before you shot a warning look at your two guests.  Kuroo whistled a note in faux innocence.

            "Coming!" you replied before jogging slightly over to the entryway.  The metal handle felt cool in the summer heat, but that was hardly the reason for the cold shock that ran through your body as you turned and pulled.

            "Shit, don't open it!"

            Everything went silent to your ears.  Your inability to scream could have been due to the induced lack of sound and, perhaps also combined with some level shock, you heard an absolutely deafening nothingness in that moment.  The burn of ice-cold arms wrapped around your waist and shoulders managed to shock you back into real time.  The chill that invaded your body as you were pulled back into a lithe chest wrenched a painful gasp from your constricted throat.  Vaguely, you could make out a blur of red, grey, and black in front of you while wood splinters flew through the air and threatened to injure your sight.  As something deftly shattered the front entrance, you were thrown back by the force and straight into the living room wall.  Thankfully, whoever had a hold of you from behind shielded you from the brunt of the impact.  As opposed to moments ago, every rustle of cloth and crumble of the plaster walls resounded acutely in your head and seemed to bounce around inside your cranium.  Your entire body ached while your skull throbbed and you shivered incessantly, but the cold being from behind kept a solid grip on you.  Laboured breathing interrupted by pained gasps and chokes came from whoever had protected you.  In the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of wispy blond locks.

            "K-Kenma...?  Did y-you—oh god a-are you o-okay?" you stuttered out amidst your pain, shock, and chills.  After hearing your voice, the slim demon loosened his hold on you.

            "S'okay.  Just kind of sore," he replied softly as he picked himself up.  Wood chips and plaster dust rained off of his body and fell to the floor as Kenma hefted himself back to his feet, wooden geta clacking against the tatami mats.

            "Oi, Kenma!  If she's fine then hurry up and help me here!  Ahh, you should have just died peacefully you persistent garbage!" When you looked in the direction of Kuroo's voice, the contents of your stomach wanted to make its way back up your throat.

            There was no single existence to which you could liken the disgusting thing in front of you.  Swirling in sickly shades of brown, grey, green, and even purple, the nearly two metre sized creature was by far the most repulsive abomination from the other world you had ever encountered .  The contorted human-like face on what you could only assume was the head made you feel nauseous as the charred skull slowly orbited the entity and never stayed in one place.  The gelatinous state of the rest of its body that continuously formed, dissolved, and reformed into body parts as it alternated between defending against and attacking Kuroo was repulsive to watch.  Portions of the monster's form would ooze and splatter off of the huge mass only to dissolve and evaporate into a black gas that choked your senses in a foul scent of decay.  Most potent of all its influence on you, however, was the suffocating terror you felt from its very presence.  For the first time in all your years, you were faced with an absolute atrocity of an entity and one that most definitely threatened your life.  Your instincts screamed for escape, or even death from anything but that abomination's doing.

            "Hey, can you hear me?" You physically tried to roll away when a voice startled you back to reality, but Kenma's icy grip on your shoulder kept you in place. "I need to help Kuro with this...thing, so don't move.  Well, maybe hide in a closet or something.  Just...stay out of the way." With that, the smaller Bakeneko helped you sit up and gave your shoulder a soft squeeze before jumping into the fray.  Weakly, you shuffled backwards until you were pressed against the far wall and could only watch.

            "About time you dragged your ass over here!  So, what's the plan for this one?" The dark-haired cat grunted as he blocked a blow from the shifting entity that had him skidding slightly and landed him with his back against the kitchen counter.  The male shook his head clear before dodging another strike.

            Copper irises studied the oozing entity intently before Kenma replied, "The head on this one keeps moving so it’s pretty young, probably." The lithe cat rolled backwards to dodge a downward swipe from one of the extended appendages and hummed slightly. "It's attacking on whims.  Kuro, aim for the limbs.  We'll reduce its body mass first."

            "Roger that!" As soon as the next mass of sickly sludge shot out at the black cat, Kuroo dropped to the floor and twisted into a roll, using the momentum to cleave away at the overhead sludge with his claws.  The male repressed the urge to gag when the dismembered portion immediately started to dissipate into the abhorrently scented smog.

            "Kuro, next," Kenma muttered as he tumbled past his partner, bringing another oozing appendage in his wake.

            "Don't overwork me now, Kenma." Despite his scolding, the taller of the two grinned as he soon severed another mass of the noxious sludge.

            The pattern repeated and the monster was quickly whittled away by the continuous carving of its reforming limbs.  From the far end of the room, your initial terror was washed away in a stupor as you were mesmerised by the two Bakeneko as they made quick work of whatever that creature was.  Unfortunately, the more of its body the two removed, the heavier and more potent the stench of the putrid fumes became.  You could barely breathe as the air became saturated with the scent of rot.  Eventually, a rattling noise caught your attention.  Shaking on the ground, lacking the body mass to even hold it up right, was the mourning head of the creature.  On its own, it looked the same as a smooth skull with the grotesque expression messily carved into the dark grey bone.  The rattle of its fervent shuddering ceased once Kuroo crushed it under the teeth of his geta.  As soon as the male shattered the ornament, the horrid stench of spoils and waste started to clear from the apartment.

            "Tired..." Kenma yawned and flopped to the floor a little ways behind Kuroo.

            "As quick to weary as ever." Bronze eyes were alight with energy as the dark-haired cat talked. "Well, at least the danger's passed, so you can stop hiding in the corner, princess!"

            In spite of the damage to your apartment and the supposedly arduous fight he just went through, Kuroo still spoke with that teasing lilt and grinned like life was a game.  Perhaps, to the demon, it simply was while you were the only player running around with no equipment and a limited single life.  The black cat's earlier remarks about your lack of awareness and irresponsibility came snickering back into your mind, but this time you did not have the confidence to disagree.

* * *

_-The world is full of people who wish to run away to Neverland_

_Yet only the unwilling get dragged into Wonderland-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If we added one more "o" to "Kuroo", in order to read that way, the last kanji (尾) could probably change to "dai" (大) which can be read "oo" and his name would literally be "black largeness" or something along the lines. It's really nonsensical and I'm almost ashamed, but I couldn't pass up Kenma laughing at slime jokes. Or Kenma laughing in general.


	4. Hellebore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> This and chapter five were actually supposed to be one thing, but before I even got to the real content, the beginning became this and I had to split it. It was probably actually good luck since there's a bit of a break between the info dump now, but resorting content and renaming chapters was a pain haha.  
> More precious boys join in this chapter. About half of this chapter might count as relationship development, maybe? There's definitely the beginnings of the reader character's personal growth/changes (which will become much more apparent in the second and third fourths of the story I suppose).

               A lively atmosphere was prevalent in the lingering summer heat as chatter permeated the air and laughter filled any gaps.  The ring of bike bells shrilly filtered through the noise while the vehicles smoothly cruised by walking students.  Both on and off the campus, bodies travelled as the sun hung halfway in the afternoon sky.  Today marked your second day back to classes, but that was a minuscule portion of your repressed anxieties.  Your gaze flicked around you warily and your strides were tense.  Canvas fabric irritated your palms as your hands gripped your bag harshly and pulled it close to your body.  Your entire being was on edge and you hated it.  That unique "sixth sense" you were born with had been a burden for as long as you could remember, but never like this.  Having an extended view of the world and bearing knowledge of things a majority of people would never even have the chance of realising existed had actually turned into a source of pride and confidence at some point.  In some way, it felt like being spiritually aware made you different and almost better than the general masses.  Now, here you were, worrying about things as heavy as your life with almost every step while everyone else happily went on with their days.  You despised it.

               "Yahoi, senpai!" When the cheery greeting rang near your left ear, a scream rushed its way up your throat, but you refused to let it out.  Stumbling away, you turned to find a familiar grin and lively sienna irises.  Immediately, you felt your body relax and all of your worries emptied from your mind.

               "Oh, it's Oikawa," you replied plainly, but with a fond smile on your lips.  You grinned widely at the slightly shorter male behind the brunette. "Hi there, Hajime-kun."

               "Afternoon." Spiky charcoal locks bobbed as he nodded.

               "Aww, what's with the difference in greetings, senpai?  You sound so much closer to Iwa-chan like that!  You should stop using my last name already," Oikawa whined with a childish pout.  You offered an apologetic smile, though none too sincere.

               "There there, Oikawa.  It's just how things are so no need to get upset.  You know it's hard for me to up and change how I refer to people."

               "That's just being lazy!" the first year countered.

               "And you're being rude," Iwaizumi scolded as he rapped a fist against his friend's back.

               "Ouch!  You need to stop that bad habit of beating up on me, Iwa-chan.  Why is it my childhood friend and beloved senpai only like to bully me?" Chestnut eyes gazed at the both of you rather pathetically, but you felt no real remorse at the artificial display.

               "We're just treating you as comes naturally.  If you're upset about it, then stop acting like a moron." Iwaizumi's words held as little guilt, if not even less, than your own feelings.  Oikawa huffed sulkily.

               "That doesn't make me feel any better.  Unless, perhaps, senpai would go on a date with me, hm?" The brunet even threw in an audacious wink.

               You readied a playfully sharp retort to your junior's invitation, but when the male hooked an arm around your shoulders, you only managed a short shriek before staggering away.

               Even if the two males were your friends, the attack from about half a week ago still weighed heavily on your mind and made you a bit skittish.  That, however, did nothing to explain the sudden burning shock that ran through your body when Oikawa tried to touch you.  It felt like electricity still ran along your spine even after you distanced yourself from the now severely worried boys.  You were not sure exactly why, but your instincts screamed for you to leave right away.  After your summer break experiences, you quickly decided to heed that warning.  Gasping slightly for air, you turned to the boys with a shaky smile.

               "S-Sorry!  That was some serious static just now.  Your classes must be starting soon, so I'm going to go home already.  Bye guys!" Without a glance back, you granted the two a short wave and scurried away before your juniors could stop you.

               Surely Oikawa would call and text you incessantly later and Iwaizumi might drop a message or two, but you would deal with that in time.  At the moment, you wondered what that earlier burning sensation was.  It would be absolutely maddening if your nerves were so shot from the incident last week that you could not even manage company from your only friends anymore.  You remembered that Kuroo did say, after that scare, your extra sense would act up for a while.

* * *

               "Ahh, but that was quite the annoying interruption.  I guess two of us together pushed it too far and we got noticed," Kuroo grumbled and clicked his tongue.  The whole time the dark-furred Bakeneko spoke, he continued to crush and grind the scattered skull fragments under the teeth of his geta.

               "Gross," the other cat entity mumbled from his seat near a puddle of sludge that had yet to completely evaporate.

               On the far side of the room, you stayed frozen in your huddled spot.  More accurately, you refused to move from your place.  Even though, just prior, the two abnormalities defeated whatever that atrocious aberration was and protected you, the atmosphere was still tense.  You pressed your back into the wall in some vain attempt of moving as far away as possible.  While Kuroo had assured that you were safe and even after Kenma had used his own body to protect you from the monster's surprise attack, you could not find it in you to trust them.  More than that, they scared you.  The monster that crashed your apartment had been absolutely terrifying and you could sense just how hostile it was; if that was so, then those two Bakeneko that just one-sidedly obliterated it while bypassing your senses were even more dangerous.

               Bored after thoroughly crushing every bone fragment within reach, Kuroo flicked a furred ear and glanced over to you. “I told you it's all fine now.  Or is the little miss still in shock and needs someone to comfort her?"

               This time, Kenma's ears flicked while the other male laughed, but the mostly-blond boy stayed silent.  You grit your teeth as you forced your voice to work.

               "What do you w-want from me?" You cursed yourself a dozen times over for the stuttering slip of your tongue.  Kuroo's black tail waved around rather spiritedly from under his yukata as he watched you.  Every adjustment and twitch of your body was clear to the male as you radiated wariness, distrust, and fear.  A grin spread across the black cat's face.

               "Oh?  Has my self-absorbed princess finally realised what the real world is like?  That's a good look in your eyes, you know.  You're finally scared." The Bakeneko nonchalantly flexed his clawed fingers as he drawled on. "Well, as much as I'd love to further educate you, we don't have the time nor leisure to play around.  We're not gonna' hurt you so, for now, you'll have to stick close to Kenma and myself until this incident gets swept away.  Ah, and don't worry about the damage.  It's only on some sort of complicated meta-physical level and basically only people on our side will notice it.  We can fix it, too," Kuroo airily blathered on to your ears.  After what you had witnessed, you were fearful of the cat entity, but an irritating weight began to build in your chest that overpowered your apprehension.

               "I don't understand a thing you're talking about, so can you explain what just happened?  What the hell was that anyways?  What did you end up bringing into my home?!" you ended up shouting at the two beings as you staggered to your feet, using the wall to support yourself.  Emotions raging within, your actions were just a little touched with panic and perhaps nearly fully grasped by desperation.  There were things you needed to know to stay in control of yourself and, even if they currently terrified you, the cat demons were your only source of information.

               "Roadless," Kenma spoke up from his seat surrounded by wood chips and splinters. "That thing was called a Roadless, although it was pretty inexperienced and weak so it might be a bad example.  They're wandering spirits that lost proper sentience and only manage to exist through absorbing misfortune and power sources." Narrowed pupils stared directly at you.  For the first time, you realised just how unnerving Kenma's, and probably Kuroo's, cat-like gazes were.

               "Power sources?"

               "In other words," the standing male cut in, "they're spirits of disaster that live off of things like bad luck or by eating beings with spiritual power.  That includes, but is not limited to, ghosts, irregularities, demons, and—the most potent of meals—people like you." A sharp claw flicked out to point in time with his last word. “The Roadless that just attacked wasn’t particularly strong and you could probably outrun a young one like that, but the weaker ones are devious creatures capable of mimicry and suppressing their spiritual presences so that even demons can barely notice them in time." Despite his earlier teasing, Kuroo now stared at you with a serious expression that sent chills down your spine.

               "For at least a couple days we'll need to keep you close and under guard so that nothing else tries to eat you again.  In any case, generally, people aware of our side getting attacked is less likely than, well, there being people even aware of us in this day and age.  Although, if they do get devoured, it's often very easily overlooked since being spirited away is simply that way." Kuroo's words made you shudder, not only at the consequences, but the overarching realisation that this has happened probably many times throughout history.  Even if infrequent, entire lives could and have been plucked away without a trace and your own was in danger of the same hazard.  The dark-haired male chuckled, however, before adding, "I have to admit that this little mishap is our fault.  The presence of two entities like us Bakeneko in one place couldn't help but attract the attention." Both you and Kenma shared a grimace at the black cat's indirect self-praise.

               "I told you we should have left, Kuro," the partially blond boy reiterated.  The addressed cat gave a rough sigh.

               "Well that's impossible now.  If we leave the princess alone after just being attacked, something as dangerous as a dragon could even come to devour her.  Besides, Kenma"—two sets of amber gazes clashed—“I told you that I'm not leaving with what I want so close.  After the dust settles, it won't be a problem for just me to say." It was not like you could understand either of the males in what restricted time you had spent in either's presence, but there was definitely a silent quarrel in their conversation and you were, quite unfortunately, a large part of it.

* * *

               "That stupid cat being stingy and making no sense at all.  He won't tell me anything more until it's 'quiet and safe' enough to talk and yet he shoos me off to my classes while I'm apparently still under danger of some sort of ambush?  I mean, I would have gone anyways, but being told to go like some rebellious child by that prick just pisses me off," you grumbled the entire time you walked home.  When the two cats had started a silent argument, you stepped in with some more questions only to receive some vague replies and very restricting orders.  Being told that you would not be allowed out of sight of either Bakeneko was annoying enough itself, but when you were ready to fight and win against Kuroo for your freedom when classes started once more, he had simply flicked a hand and told you to scram if you wanted since “a couple days” had already passed.  That stupid cat nearly had you wanting to gouge out your eyes more often than your current creative writing lecturer.

               With a little more flare to your gait, you briskly covered the last block to your apartment and took the outside stairs to your floor two at a time.  You had too much energy to enter the ground lobby and idly take the lift.  Having taken your key out on your way up, you quickly unlocked the entry as soon as you reached the correctly numbered door.  Still aggravated by your thoughts, there was perhaps a little too much force used as you swung the door open and then slammed it closed.  Worn sneakers were kicked off with little regard as you exited the short and narrow corridor of the entrance and stepped into the open living room.

               That was when a mass of white confetti splashed you right in your face.

               "Welcome back, mistress!  Glad to see you managed your first day back in society, nyahaha!"

               "What the-ppbleh!  Gah!" you started to shout in confusion, only to end up with paper scraps invading your mouth and causing a horrible hacking fit.  Over your uncomfortable coughing, you could make out that damn cat's infuriating snicker.  By the time you had managed to spit out the confetti from your mouth and regain your breath, Kuroo had calmed down and was watching with a satisfied grin.

               "Why?" You grit your teeth.

               "I was bored." The Bakeneko shrugged.  
               Without another word, you dropped your school bag and brushed past Kuroo to enter your room, leaving the sliding door open.  Curious and slightly perturbed at your lack of reaction, the black cat poked his head in after you only to be met with a sudden wet spray to his face.  The resulting yowl was definitely no sound a human would make.  Still, with no remorse to be found, you stepped out of your room with a small spray bottle in hand.

               "What the hell was that?!" The Bakeneko rubbed his face furiously with his large sleeves while you remained silent.

               Your fingers nimbly turned the bottle nozzle twice and clicked the trigger while aiming at the male's face and neck.  Kuroo screeched at the stream of water that assaulted him.

               "Bad cat!  Kitties who don't behave get scolded by the spray bottle!" you declared somewhat childishly before brandishing your weapon with a smug grin.  Your target laid on the floor panting and looking like a pet that just got attacked by overenthusiastic children.

               "Y-You...damn you..." Kuroo coughed as a stray droplet slipped into his mouth.

               A soft chortle passed your lips before you set down the bottle on the low table—the cleaning apparatus’ proper use was actually watering the small plants in your room.  In good spirits for once, you padded over to the adjoined kitchen and rummaged through the lower cupboards for a spare rag.  Finding an old hand towel, you returned to where Kuroo lay and crouched over his fallen form before dropping the cloth atop the entity’s face.

               "I know you're a cat and all, but it's just a little water so you can stop acting like you're dying.  Also, you're getting the floor wet." As you talked, you slowly started to press the towel against the male's face and rubbed around, dragging his features this way and that.

               "Ow ow, all right!  You can let go now," Kuroo's muffled voice hissed from under the fabric.

               When he reached up to pull the cloth from his face, his hand ended up gripping yours.  You squeaked at the cold shock from the demon's chilly skin and quickly wrenched away.  As your other hand worked to rewarm your now icy flesh, you remembered who and what you were playing around with.  Before the annoyances and bantering, Kuroo was an abnormality to your world and not just a harmless ghost either.  Most importantly, there was something he wanted from you specifically and that heralded danger.

               "Hm, the princess suddenly goes quiet after such dreadful bullying?  Are you feeling guilty now?" That ever-teasing snicker pulled you out of your reverie.

               A lot had happened to you in the past week; all of the events having to do with the entity sitting in front of you that was dripping water onto your tatami mats.  A bead of water that started to trail down the male's temple caught your eye and you followed it down to the slope of his cheek.  When you took a proper look at him, Kuroo possessed a rather attractive face.  High cheekbones, a defined nose bridge, youthful skin, and all highlighted by his more ethereal aspects of sharpened canines and feline eyes.  The bright summer light leaking from your open room only helped to cast a pleasing gleam on his pitch black hair and cat-like, amber irises.  Now that you thought about it, the guy had been living with you for at least a week now, but you never dared to make direct eye contact with him.  When you flicked your gaze over to meet his, copper eyes were staring at you attentively.  The unexpected intensity of the male's gaze brought you back to reality and made you realise that the two of you had sat there probably staring at one another for some time now.  Although, while you were now aware, the Bakeneko seemed to still be studying something about you.  There was an internal conflict on whether to disturb such unbridled focus, but every second that passed made you feel more and more uncomfortable under such scrutiny.  You also still knew nothing about the Roadless that had attacked you previously among all the other possible dangers that existed for you that only Kuroo could explain.  When your lips parted, your voice was barely more than a breath.

               "Kuroo?" As soon as you spoke, the male's pupils dilated slightly before meeting your eyes. 

              The gaze that you held caused a block of ice to form in your gut.  In that moment, staring directly into those amber eyes that no human could ever possess sent a shock through your body even more terrifying than the monster that had attacked you just days before.

* * *

_-Don’t look away_

_These are demons-_


	5. Rose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> This is your warning for an info dump of a chapter, but I did my best to have some breathing space in between. There's also copious amounts of Kuroo being Kuroo.  
> I've been a bit frazzled lately so I can't particularly remember if there was anything I wanted to note about this chapter. I did, however, realise that the timeline confused the heck out of me once I actually named a day, so I'll provide a visual whenever days change just for reference. [[This is the current chain of events as of this chapter]](https://i.gyazo.com/e689906eae61307623c898c7536b63f7.png).  
> As always, hope everyone enjoys and thanks for reading!

               A heart-thumping encounter with an attractive person was something like a pipe dream to a fair number of people in the world.  Your own preference and opinion on the idea of such things as love and fated encounters could sway this way and that depending on your mood.  It was an impressionable matter.  Your current situation, however, would not be something you would file under a particularly romantic moment, even if tense in various ways. 

               "Hey, we okay over here?" you tried to ask in a light tone, but there was a repressed quiver to your voice.  Kuroo had yet to cease staring at you with that piercing gaze and you were feeling very uncomfortable and exposed.  Being watched by a person was one thing, but being intensely studied by a cat-eyed otherworldly entity was on an entirely different level of unnerving.

               Thankfully, your prodding garnered the Bakeneko's attention as the male blinked slowly and seemed to come back to the present.  Amber eyes relaxed into a more human appearance as the ethereal aura around the cat started to diminish.  Soon enough, a familiar snide grin was present once more.

               "Hmm, is the princess worried because I spaced out for a bit there?  Just for the record, you started ogling me first." Maybe it would have been better if Kuroo had remained in his previous state.

               "My spray bottle has plenty of water left in it, you know," you bit back tartly.  The black cat only chuckled at that.

               "I'm sure you'd love to soak me even more.  Was it fun watching the water drops running down my body?" Kuroo poked his tongue out to swipe at a stray bead of liquid near his lips while leering at you with a heady gaze.

               Your arm immediately shot out for the bottle resting harmlessly on the low table.

               "Hold up, hold up!  I was joking!" Just before you could grasp your mock weapon, the cat's own hand gripped your wrist and deterred you away from the spray bottle.  You cringed at the cold burn and quickly wrenched your hand out of his hold.

               "Even if it's harmless, I am a cat and I hate getting wet," Kuroo grumbled and muttered something else irately that you missed.  You huffed and glowered as the male shifted the spray bottle out of your immediate reach.

               "I wouldn't use it against you if you weren't so annoying.  Actually, today you're even more annoying than usual and starting to creep into, dare I say, sexual harassment territory with your earlier display," you snubbed the cat before a sudden realisation came to you. “Ah, right, you aren't as annoying when Kenma is around and to divert your attention.  I haven't seen him yet, so where is he?" You turned your head a couple of times, but spotted no sign of the dual-haired Bakeneko and he certainly was not hiding in your room, either.  The softer-spoken of the two cats was far less infuriating company than Kuroo.  In your opinion, the slim male was a pure angel compared to the messy aberration before you and you would not hesitate to admit you preferred the sparse interaction with Kenma to your current situation.  A part of you could actually say you were rather fond of the other boy especially after he helped you complete and finalise your short story assignment in only half a day.  You almost cried tears of joy at the newfound benevolence in your life.

               "Is that what you think?  I have a very upstanding set of morals, I'll have you know!” The male threw a hand in offense. “Anyways, Kenma left already so you're stuck with the annoying me who also happens to be protecting your life," Kuroo hummed in reply and crossed his arms somewhat petulantly.

               "He left?  Why?"

               "Now that the other beings and things nearby are calm again after our little incident, Kenma didn't want to trigger another attack and left." The male closed his eyes as he spoke and flicked his wrist as if that 'incident' from before had not been a threat on your life.  Kuroo's eyes popped back open as he seemed to remember something. "Ah, also, he said sorry about the ruckus and the daifuku left in the fridge was really good."

               There were a few choice replies you conjured in wake of that last bit of information, but you held your tongue.  Between the newfound fact that your food was stolen, that the Bakeneko could even eat normal food, and that those rice cakes may have been a few days too old, those next words out of your mouth would not have been very beneficial to the situation.  Instead, you repressed those lingering thoughts with a sigh and asked a question of much greater importance.

               "So then that means we now have the time to talk about what the hell is going on, right?  Those things—the Roadless—what are they exactly?  They weren't ghosts, but I've never heard of nor encountered... entities like that before." Your face scrunched up a little as you tried to keep your speech neutral.  If you internalised a notion that the Roadless were nothing more than monsters, then what would that make the abnormality in front of you?

               "Ugh, this is not going to be a quick explanation.  If I have to give you a talk on the Roadless, I'll have to loop back and explain the other world itself." The Bakeneko lazily slumped against the table.

               "Well, the sooner you start, the sooner we'll finish.  Want a drink?" you offered the last bit somewhat flippantly, but the cat visibly perked at the prospect.

               "Pocari!  There are vending machines in the lobby, right?  They must have some Pocari Sweat since I always see it in the machines elsewhere!"

               Now that was a surprise.  You felt your jaw slacken a little at the absolutely earnest expression the black cat wore.

               "Pocari as in the sports drink?  Why would you want Pocari?  Wait, actually, I didn't want to get off track earlier when you mentioned the daifuku, but you guys can actually eat stuff?  Real food and drinks?" It was more than a little presumptuous of you to be so shocked, but in all technicality, entities were not living beings.  You would not exactly call them dead, but they were definitely far from actually alive.  Ghosts and demons eating your regular food just seemed pointless.  Not to mention, whether they could digest whatever they ate was not something you would want to try to think about.

               "Hey now, what's with that reaction?  We may not be living humans, but we have physical bodies and tongues.  Even if eating your food has no effect, it's not like we have no sense of taste and don't enjoy flavours.  Didn't I bother you for grilled fish when I first came here?" The judging stare and cocked brow that Kuroo gave you only served to make you an embarrassed mess.

               "Th-That's not my fault!  I thought you were joking that time because you're a cat-type spirit and all a-and it's just not something I ever thought of.  I kind of feel like a moron right now," you groaned into your hands.  The way Kuroo explained his side made his enjoying food seem like such an obvious matter that the embarrassment was inevitable.  The stupid cat kept sweeping the rug out from under your feet since he forced his way into your life.  When that all too familiar snicker started from the Bakeneko, you were ready curl up and bid farewell to what was left of your dignity.  That was until Kuroo's snickering turned into full-blown hearty laughter.

               When you pulled you face out from behind the barrier of your palms, you were not sure what to make of the sight in front of you.  There had been plenty of times the cat had flashed a toothy grin or laughed mockingly.  That moment, you realised, was the first time you had seen Kuroo with such an innocently delighted expression without some underlying scorn.  It was the kind of smile that pulled one's lips when their stomach tickled, accompanied by unrestrained laughter from nothing more than pure amusement and not the usual mockery.  The more that you heard of the Bakeneko's deep laugh, the more you started to like the sound of it.  There was something about the resonance that made you feel at ease.

               Within a minute or so, the demon cat regained his composure and caught his breath.  The corners of his mouth were still turned up to form that delighted grin. “Oh man, I actually kind of feel bad for laughing so hard, but I couldn't help it." Kuroo paused to chuckle between his sentences while you felt your embarrassment start to return. “I mean, for the past week or so, you've been such a snobby little princess with the perfect cold shoulder I couldn't help myself.  You're even cuter than I thought you'd be when flustered." You were not sure if your building ire was from the return of the cat's smug grin or his overly honest words.

               "I'm not sure whether to question the 'snobby princess' insult or the 'even cuter' confession first," you quipped half-heartedly in an attempt to salvage some face.  Kuroo chortled in response but let the topic drop.

               "All right, since I got to see the little miss’ cute side, I'll properly explain everything you want to know.  Don't start sulking, okay?  And I would still like that Pocari.  I have a lot of talking to do," the cat bargained.  You sighed and moved to get up.

               "I'll go get you a can, then.  Also, if you're really going to answer all of my questions properly, then you can start now." Kuroo only blinked at you curiously so you asked, "Why Pocari?"

               That got a snicker out of the cat.

               "Hmm, I had it once a few years back thanks to a person's goodwill, I guess you could say.  I suppose it's a nostalgic kind of liking I have for it.  Unfortunately, my type can't run amuck and do whatever we want without consequences to your world, so I can't raid machines and stores for a drink whenever I want."

               "I'm surprised you didn't take whatever you wanted, consequences or not," you replied without thought.

               "And, as I've said, I have my own upstanding morals.  Please, mistress, have better faith in me," Kuroo replied without missing a beat.

               Leaving it with a shake of your head, you bid the male a quick "be back" and grabbed your wallet and keys before slipping on a light jacket and exiting your apartment.  Not minding a little idle time, you headed for the lift.  You let your body move on autopilot and retreated into your thoughts for a bit.

               A week could pass in the blink of an eye or seem to stretch on endlessly, but your past week felt like it somehow managed to do both.  It was only a week ago that your worst worry was whether you would be able to finish your short story that the lecturer—who you wondered how she still had a job—had assigned.  At the same time, for a whole week now, you have had to live with an unplanned and very much unwanted roommate of the supernatural kind.  So much in your life had already been toppled in only the past week by Kuroo's appearance, you were not sure how much more you could forcibly adjust yourself to.  It felt like so long ago that you led such an easy and peaceful life that an emotion like homesickness for those times bubbled within.  Average days where you worried about your grades and wondered if you would see your two juniors that day or not were now long gone.  The calm retreat of your apartment where you could relax in solitude no longer existed.  That was the kind of dreary thought that passed you by when Kuroo's laugh suddenly echoed in your mind, bright and full of joy.  It was the kind of sound you never heard in your home while you lived alone and that abrupt notion caused a twist in your gut.

               Already in front of the apartment lobby vending machines, you stared blankly at the selection of drinks spread before you as realisation dawned upon you.  Even though he crashed uninvited into your life and destroyed your peace and safety in those average days, there were new experiences his company brought that you enjoyed.  As you stood in front of the machine in the light of summer afternoon with only the muffled chirping of cicadas as company, you realised how lonely the solitary moment was.  The lack of snide remarks and annoying quips was actually upsetting.

               You hissed a string of choice curses under your breath while jamming your thumb against the button for a Pocari can much too harshly.

               Feeling much too aggravated and also confused, you retrieved the sports drink and opted to head for the stairs.  Your thoughts were more of a muddled mess this time as you dashed up the steps, expending as much of the unneeded energy as you could before arriving back at your door.  Key in hand, you froze in your spot for a few seconds.  Your emotions were a frazzled mess from the simple vending machine trip and you let out a rough sigh.  A few moments were taken to regain yourself before your opened the door.

               "Hey, I got your drink, so you better give me a good explanation now," you greeted as naturally as you could.  There was no need to let Kuroo be aware of your emotional state nor did you want him to know.

               "Much appreciated, princess," the black cat replied with a smirk as you set the can down on the table for him and took a seat a little ways away on the tatami flooring and removed your jacket, dumping it next to you. “So, where do you want me to start?" The soft click of the can popping open and a compressed fizz followed his words.

               "Kenma said the Roadless were wandering spirits that lost sentience, but how does that happen?" You waited patiently as the Bakeneko took a satisfied sip of his drink before he answered.

               "Well, I'll have to explain how our two worlds work before I can get specific.  For simplicity's sake, most humans would best know my world as Yomi no Kuni or the Underworld.  It's a little alike and a little different from the Underworld or Yomi that most humans would talk about.

               "To begin with, Yomi is not simply ‘the land of the dead’, but an all-encompassing world for the non-living and non-human.  Despite connotations, it's not a place reserved for punishment, but souls—mostly human—that have committed morally arguable acts may face some sort of consequence upon arriving in Yomi.  Before arrival, however, there is a road that all entrants must go through to actually reach said place.  On that road, a deceased human has the chance to revisit parts of their life and realise how terribly they may have acted.  If someone who can't face their guilt tries to enter Yomi, they're likely to be driven off the road by their lack of resolve.  However, to step off that path means to abandon your dues as a soul in the cycle set up by the gods."

               "Whoa, wait a second,” you cut in with a befuddled shake of your head, “an underworld I can comprehend, but gods?"

               Kuroo took your momentary interruption to sneak in another tip of his drink.  
               "I'll get to that in a bit, so just do your best to keep up with me here.  I'm sure you're quite familiar with these gods anyways so it won't be a big deal.  As I was saying, outside of the path is basically a void that strips souls and entities of their cognition and awareness until all that's left is a mass of regrets and desires.  By the time any person or thing makes its way out of that empty space, they'll be reduced to something only capable of basic survival like the gross slime that attacked you." Kuroo’s words elicited a shudder from you, but the cat continued on at your prodding.

               "That's the basics of Roadless and the like.  The Underworld itself isn't particularly chaotic or organised and your experiences basically depend on who you're with and where you are.  The only standard down there is the main entrance and exit to the place is the same path for every being.  A quick mythology quiz: where is the entrance to Yomi located?" The Bakeneko swirled the contents of his can as he awaited your answer.  You took a moment to process the question.

               "You mean...the entrance to Yomi in mythology specifically?  If it's Japan, then that would be...Yomotsu Hirasaka where Izanagi blocked the entrance with a huge boulder." Your reply had Kuroo grinning as he clapped approvingly.

               "Correct!  That brings us to the gods who set up the cycle in which souls and we entities live in.  It's simple, really.  You live, and then you die, and once you die you have the choice of either becoming a resident of Yomi or being reincarnated into a new life, assuming they made it past the first road and into the Underworld anyways.  This system is an agreement between the two founding gods, one of which you already named."

               "Izanagi...and Izanami, then?"

               "Two for two, princess, not bad.” Kuroo snickered and you were quite sure the cat was a compulsive teaser. “I'll be brief about the common and mostly correct mythology since you should know it: creators of Japan, Izanami dies and Izanagi fails to bring her back, Izanami's curse of death upon humans, and all of that stuff.  Now, the original curse was a death of a thousand persons every day, to which Izanagi-no-Okami promised a thousand five hundred new lives every day.  That was all fine and dandy until, at some point, this crude live and die system was more than either world could handle and they were flooding with death and souls.  So, the two gods, for the sake of the two worlds and their inhabitants, set up the cycle we have today.  That brings us to beings like yours truly."

               To be truthful, you perked up slightly at the notion that Kuroo would be talking about himself, even if only a little.  There was so much more you had to learn, but you were curious about your housemate of one week.

               "A thousand humans won't die in a day by natural causes and the occasional accident, so that's where all your folktale monsters and old story demons come in.  All of the spirits and creatures of those days were basically under contract with Izanami-no-Mikoto to kill the cursed thousand people every day.  Ah, well, that's not how it is today as you can see with the wonderful relationship between us,” the cat quipped and you sighed. “You see, when the two gods recreated the cycle of this land, the job for all the demons became almost obsolete.  A lot of those guys were unhappy with being muzzled and leashed from their happy hunting, as would be expected.  It was really bloody for a while when the sadistic ones went berserk," the Bakeneko tutted as he seemed to recall some memories.

               There were quite a few disturbing facts you inferred at that moment, but the worst by far was that Kuroo had most likely witnessed all of this old bloodshed.  You recalled the time he had teased you about playing with his ears and even referred to himself as a man-eating monster.  The possibility that the male before you was one of those old demons that took part in the original system, oddly enough, did not primarily scare you.  Rather, you were overwhelmed by the sick churning in your gut and the nag in your head reciting what an ignorant fool you were for all these years.  The Bakeneko seemed to take a bit longer than usual this time around to drink from his emptying can before he continued.

               "The big problem with the new system was that the old monsters didn't kill just for fun or for Izanami's curse, but also because they had to eat.  Humans, and sometimes their souls, were the best energy source for spirits and entities to continue on with and, under the new system, most of them couldn't get enough to survive.  They started attacking each other and even cannibalising in desperation when they were driven out of this world.  Well, it wasn't just a problem in Yomi since those that did manage to sneak out would go on massacres in an attempt to stock up on as much food as they could before having to flee.  In short, there was absolutely no balance.  It wasn't until only a few centuries ago that Izanami managed to devise another system that soothed spirits and demons.  A single sacrificial energy source that all beings could feed off of and thus negating the need to hunt was created.  For such a single person to exist, Izanami went to great lengths depleting her own power and resources to ensure that the sacrifices would last a long while and there would always be a replacement ready when need be.  Think of it as something like a family line that carried a special gene.

               "The reason modern Japan is so safe is because of the sacrifice of 'Izanami's Daughter' from this pseudo family line." The black cat took one final drink from his can of Pocari before crushing it into a flat disc easily between his palms.  You cringed at the display of strength, but interjected anyways.

               "Izanami never had a daughter in the legends, though." You squinted as the aluminium circle in Kuroo's hands reflected the light of the setting sun into your eyes every so often.  The Bakeneko let out a laugh you had never heard from him before that resembled something like a cat's purr.

               "If we speak of the gods of creation of this land, then all they created would be considered their children, don't you think?  If we talk about humans, then it's like saying Izanagi and Izanami are the first parents.  The thing is, not all offspring resemble their parents.  In this current world, the heritage is so diluted that the majority don't believe in my world anymore since they can no longer see residents of Yomi.  In that case, who are the ones left close enough to the gods to be considered actual children, much less Izanami-no-Mikoto's daughter?" The Bakeneko purred once more as he continued to fiddle with the flattened Pocari can.

               "Kuroo, what are you trying to say?  You're implying something," you cut off the rest of your sentence and let the silent suggestions of your discomfort at the aberration’s question hang in the atmosphere.  The male let his purr die down as he smirked at you.  In the light of the setting sun, his amber eyes seemed to glow red.

               "Quite simply, sitting in front of me is someone left with a strong enough soul and bond to Izanami to realise my world.  You, my dear, are a rare Daughter in this current world." Kuroo's words became softer and softer as he nimbly moved closer until cold hands gently cradled your face in front of his.  Those copper irises watched you with the same fierce intensity as before.  You could feel his breath wash over the sensitive skin of your lips as the Bakeneko spoke.

               "And I've found myself a valuable bride."

* * *

_-Blood is thicker than water for blood created this land_

_Thus the earth stays afloat thanks to the countless lives that continue to wash upon its soil-_


	6. Lily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay last one for tonight my eyes are tired. I will upload the rest tomorrow//
> 
> [OLD NOTES]  
> Not sure how to feel that this chapter hit 5k, but most people seem to enjoy longer reads, I think? Anyways, this puts us at about halfway through the story! I ended up needing to add an extra chapter, or else this would have been the definite midpoint.  
> Also, this chapter calls for more visual aid. They're slight mid-chapter spoilers, but have [[a couple]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BtjGAyqCcAAxeTa.png:large) [[more concepts]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bt3U9crCUAElTkH.png:large). Then there's also [[a timeline update]](https://i.gyazo.com/4b79ac2a6bcf4dbd12a46092a8306490.png). Other than that dump, a small wordplay joke that will, once again, be noted at the end of the chapter. With that, I hope everyone enjoys and thanks for reading!

               Wind rustled through the overhanging branches and caused a couple of yellowing leaves to drop from their stems.  The temperature still lingered under summer's influence, but signs of autumn were beginning to emerge, particularly in the early mornings with a chill in the air and dew on the grass.  Shielded from the early sun's touch, you were slumped over the wooden table of a single pagoda in the rather extensive campus gardens.  It was an isolated structure in the far back of the university campus that no one really bothered to go to unless they were seeking solitude, as such was your case.  It was especially quiet since it was the middle of the hour and you had skipped your lecture to mope there.

              Even if you forced yourself to attend class, you highly doubted you would be able to pay as much as a minuscule fragment of attention.  Yesterday had been an absolute disaster for you between your worried juniors and Kuroo.  That cat was just unleashing stressful reveals one after another and you had no way to cope with it at all.

* * *

               "Br-Br-Bride?!" you screamed an octave higher than usual in shock, although it effectively forced the Bakeneko to back away from your personal space.

               "Ouch, princess.  Didn't know you had that kind of voice—ah, but that would probably sound really good in-" Kuroo had no chance to finish as you picked up your thin jacket from beside you and attacked him with it.

               "What the hell is this bride nonsense?!  Telling me my ability to interact with ghosts makes me liable to be abducted and used as a sacrificial body is one thing and relatively easy to accept, but!  This bride stuff is too much you stupid cat, you damned cat!!" Amidst your mildly hysterical shouting, you continuously whaled on the male with your light clothing.  Although it was absolutely harmless for the black cat, you managed to blow off some steam during the ineffective barrage.  Feeling it would be too troublesome to stop you, Kuroo simply waited out your fit and lay there while you haphazardly tried to beat him with a useless coat.

               "Got that out of your system now, little miss?" The Bakeneko still lay on the floor while you panted wearily above his prone body.  You were going to need a lot of comfort food before the end of the night.

               "I-I think I'm done.  Ah, no, just one more," you breathed out between pants.  With that last of your strength, you stuffed the bunched up fabric as forcefully as your tired arms could manage into the black cat's face before backing away.  Kuroo smacked the rumpled clothing to the side and sat back up, appearance a little more ruffled now, but completely unharmed.

               "Maybe I had the wrong timing with that part there.  There's still a bit more about this Daughter stuff that you need to know, so bear with me for a few more minutes," the cat said somewhat offhandedly.  Still wary, you sat a little farther than earlier but prodded for the male to continue.

               "All right, there are just two more things you should know about Yomi and the Daughters.  First off is that the sacrificial Daughter must be taken back to hell by a being of high status and power as regarded in Yomi.  If they aren't strong enough, the entity in charge of retrieving the Daughter won't be able to protect them from the path into the Underworld and may lose them to the void surrounding the entryway.  After that is getting the Daughter to actually become a sacrifice which can't happen without proper preparation for the switch.  If anything goes wrong in this part, then Yomi is pretty much screwed.  That's why only certain demons and the like are cleared to initiate a renewal in the sacrifices." You frowned quizzically at the cat's explanation, but held your tongue.  It was not as if you planned in any way to become a sacrifice, so not understanding absolutely everything seemed fine.

               "The last thing, and probably the most important for you, is what exactly happens to Izanami's Daughters if they become a sacrifice.  I'm sure you assumed this already, but let me just be clear: to become a fuel source for the residents of Yomi is the same as a death sentence.  They put you to sleep and you will never wake up.  Until your energy runs out and leads to your physical death, the body of a Daughter will lie deep in the Underworld and guarded from practically all other entities.  Yomi becomes your grave and you don't even get a chance to pass on as your spirit is completely drained.  Basically, to become a sacrifice is a complete and utter end to your life," Kuroo spoke in an almost desperate tone to get his message across.  You hardly needed the added stress to understand the cat's words.

               "So, then, what can I do to avoid being made into a sacrifice?" You swallowed thickly at the newfound tension in the room.  The Bakeneko's grin bordered on a sneer.

               "Those uppity demons won't be touching you.  I'm here to personally make sure that they stay away from what I found first.  I have my own plans to turn a Daughter into a bride, after all," Kuroo's voice took on a purring croon once more.

               There were quite a few portions of the new information that you wanted to comment on, but a lump was lodged in your throat.  Even though the black cat had declared he would protect you, he had yet to inform you of his personal intentions.  A bride?  There was no way he was actually going to marry you, so you waved that off as the male using more cheeky wordplay.  Since he wanted you because you were a Daughter, then was it just your bad luck of the draw to be his target?  Kuroo's explanation served to answer a majority of your questions, but a whole new slew still arose in their place.

* * *

               A tired groan ripped itself from your throat as you lay with your cheek flattened against the cool wood of the table.  The problems kept piling and piling in your life ever since you encountered that cat!  If something—anything—had prevented you from entering that abandoned building back in summer, maybe you would be living your usual life.  Instead, you were reduced to a paranoid mess hiding in the back gardens of the university from formless monsters that no one else could even see.  Another strangled groan echoed in the still air as you pressed your face into the slightly damp lumber.  Maybe you would just rest out here in peace and solitude until you felt even a little bit better.

               "Senpai!  I finally found you!" Scratch that idea.

            When you glanced up, it was indeed your optimistic, if not a little obnoxious, brunet junior disturbing your once peaceful escape.  The first year was a little out of breath as he ducked into the pagoda after rushing over to you in a sprint.

            "Oikawa..." You thought that if you acted chipper enough, perhaps you could get your younger friend to leave you alone this once, but that plan was an immediate bust when your voice cracked and trailed off from your mental and emotional exhaustion.  The brunet’s expression immediately shifted to one of distress as he hovered over your slumped form with a heavy crease to his brow.

            "What's wrong?  You've been really distant and kind of sickly since the summer holidays," your junior's voice was clearly laced with worry.  While you appreciated the concern, what you needed at that moment was tranquillity and privacy.

            "Look, Oikawa, I know I'm worrying you and Hajime-kun, but I just really need to be alone for now.  If there was anything I could ask you for, you know I would have already so please don't press me." You sighed and sat up.  A quick glance at the male only provided you with the view of a face that you knew meant the brunet would not give in.  Another weary breath left you as you pinched the bridge of your nose.

            "Oikawa-"

            "Why are you always trying to handle things alone?!" You jumped at the male's fierce interjection, but he continued on before you could even try to speak, "Iwa-chan and I aren't worried about you right now—we're always worried about you!  You never tell us anything even when you look half-dead or when you're watching over your shoulder as if something is going to kill you.  Still, you never try to talk to us and pretend we can't see that there are things bothering you when it's so obvious we'd have to be idiots to not notice.  It's been three and a half years already, so hurry up and realise that we'll seriously listen to anything you have to say!"

            There was little more you could do than stare at the first year.  In all of the time you had known the brunet, Oikawa had never let himself be as emotional in your presence as he clearly was at the moment.  Your awe at your friend’s outburst soon turned into a rancid sensation of sickening guilt and regret.  He was right, after all.  Three and a half years was a long time to act so selfishly and without regard for the only two people who went out of their way to show you love and care after you moved out from the home that even stopped thinking of you.  You opened your mouth to speak, but Oikawa cut you off once more.

               "Don't apologise, please.  That's the last thing I want to hear from you, senpai.  Instead, you should tell me about whatever the hell has you looking so miserable." The male grinned reassuringly and took a seat next to you on the wooden wraparound bench.  You managed a small smile in return.

               That was when Oikawa's fingers brushed against your own resting atop the inner table and it felt like lightning struck right between the two of you.

               A short scream ripped from your throat and a pained shout came from the brunet as both of you were blown back and away from each other by an invisible shock.  The male seemed to take the brunt of the force as he was shot out of the pagoda while you were pushed down against the bench.  Your shoulder seethed and throbbed from the impact, but your junior's wellbeing was a far greater concern at the time.  Against the burning response of your joint, you forced yourself up and staggered out from under the wooden structure to find Oikawa almost two metres away and struggling to sit up amongst the garden lawn.

               "Are you okay?" you asked as soon as you were next the first year.  You dropped to your knees and hovered near the boy in worry.

               "Y-Yeah, I think so.  More importantly, what the hell was that?" the brunet's words were punctuated by a couple coughs, but he seemed unhurt. “Senpai, you really, really need to fill me in, please." A nervous laugh bubbled in your throat as you were about to agree, but then you felt a cold shock shoot down your spine right before the male's face came into view.

               "Senpai?" Sienna eyes that you both recognised and did not blinked at you.

               Those eyes now contained animalistic slit pupils and a nearly luminescent gold ring on the outer edges of his irises.  Oikawa's image seemed to waver slightly like a hologram before two red streaks faded into view below the outer corners of both his eyes.  Similar red markings like calligraphy strokes bloomed across the male's neck and probably wrapped around it.  By the time claws, a russet bushy tail, and triangular animal ears with dark brown and almost black fur rising along the backs shimmered into existence, you already knew what this sudden change of appearance meant.

               "O-Oikawa...?  Oh god, no, y-you're—damn it!  God damn it!!" More than any apprehension or fear, it was rage and a sense of betrayal that dominated your emotions.  Perhaps the stress was too much, but you held little regard for sensibility at the moment.  All you wanted was to retreat into a hole. “Don't even try to talk to me anymore!  Just leave me the hell alone and you can relay that to Haji-Iwaizumi as well!" you yelled at the kneeling first year as you stood and backed away from his form.  The two boys were childhood friends so if Oikawa was some sort of entity, then so was the coal-haired first year.  After he preached to you about trusting friends and relying on others, finding out the brunet was secretly an aberration was pretty damn infuriating.

               "Okay, senpai, this looks really frickin' bad, but there's a very reasonable explana-hiie!" Oikawa squeaked shrilly mid-sentence and had to duck when you threw a nearby fallen branch at the male.

               Without another word, you turned heel and headed back to the pagoda to pick up your bag before you left campus.  That was the plan until a shiver, much deeper in your bones than the one Oikawa caused you earlier, wracked your body.  You recognised that cold, aching feeling from the time you were about to open your apartment door, but this chill was far more foreboding.

               "Get down, now!" Oikawa's voice rang so clear and desperate in your ears that you reacted straight away and crouched into a ball.  In the next instant, you could feel the wind just above your head whistle as something sliced through the air.  Less than another moment later, a solid body crashed into you and pulled you flat against the grass.  This time it felt like a gale force blew as something swiftly moved past where your body had just occupied space.

               "Ah shit, this is not going to be fun.  You okay?" the usually playful and light voice you were used to was gone as Oikawa spoke in a near hiss and with a frightening sense of urgency.  You were about to reply when the brunet quickly wrapped his arms around your waist and rolled a few times before he tumbled into a crouch with you somehow secured in a bridal carry.

               "I know you're pissed and all that—you have every right to be—but just listen to me for now like you would have if you still thought of me as your precious junior and hopefully neither of us will be too badly injured by the end of this," the entity spoke in one rushed breath.  When you glanced up at him, the male was watching the skies with an intense concentration you had only seen back from him when he played volleyball.

               "Y-Yeah," you replied, still a little shaken.  Of all the many events that occurred in the past five minutes, the most clear was Oikawa was protecting you from something at that moment.  The brunet clicked his tongue and suddenly rolled once more as a surge of wind came.  You felt a little sick at all the sudden motion, but thankfully the male soon dropped you off back under the shelter of the pagoda, flimsy as the wood may be.

               "Don't leave here unless I say so and stay low.  You should be mostly safe if you stay down and out of sight." You nodded shakily to the orders and quickly shuffled under the table.  Oikawa clicked his tongue again as he continued to watch the sky. “Man, I'm not a Kitsune meant for this type of thing.  I wish Iwa-chan kept his phone on during classes."

               After his remark, the brunet stood and dashed into the open lawn of the campus gardens.  Soon after, something large and fast dived by right where the fox had been a mere moment ago.  What made you gasp was, after, Oikawa shouted in what sounded like a guttural foreign language before lassos of blue fire lit from his hands and launched upwards.  The male seemed to grapple with something while the flaming ropes were taut, and then, in one huge heave, a creature, large and most definitely otherworldly, crashed into the ground.  You coughed at the dirt the fallen monster kicked up.  The dust cloud that followed as it thrashed around and the choked shrieking noises it made were none too pleasant either.  When the debris died down, however, your thoughts were far distracted from those casual annoyances.

               The thing that came into view before you roused the same sick dread and terror as the Roadless that first attacked you did, but this monster instilled an instinctual horror far more intense than the other at the sight of it.  The general shape seemed to be streamlined for aviary travel, and the notion of a flying Roadless only made your stomach churn even worse in fear.  Its body looked to be made of red clay as the torso was thin and probably light weight to be able to fly so fast despite being nearly four metres long, tail included.  Said appendage was thinly shaped and you could hear whip cracks when it lashed through the air.  Some sort of crimson dorsal fin was attached near the point, most likely to act as a rudder.  What was most shocking, however, was the complete lack of neck and head.  The torso appeared as if it had been beheaded in a clean strike as the body flattened into a simple circle where the neck would have been attached.  Instead, just below the upper cut off was that same gray, carved skull embedded in the clay-like body.  When Oikawa's fire eventually died out against the large aberrations struggling and the Kitsune quickly backed away, the monster let out a screech and spread its wings to take flight once more.  The two claws at the tip of each appendage uprooted the lawn as it pushed itself up before spreading to its full wingspan in the air, scarlet sails blooming against the slightly clouded sky.  As the afternoon sunlight passed through the translucent material, its wings cast a fiery tint over the grass.  You coughed as the beating of the Roadless' limbs surged air and dust into your face once more.  The angle was awkward and you were too far to make out Oikawa's expression at the situation, but you doubted it was anything pleased.

               Another shrill scream from the monster entity ripped through the air and more fire bloomed from the brunet's palms at the same time.  Then, suddenly enough to make you let out a surprised shriek and flinch away, the airborne Roadless was smashed into the ground once more and caused another surge of dirt to cloud the air.  When you managed to get a view of whatever had just happened, the first thing you made out among the dust was Oikawa standing there rather stiffly, but with his flames extinguished.  Eventually, the form of the Roadless came into view as well.  The shadow among the settling dust cloud wrestled and screeched even more so than when the brunet had grounded it.  The source of its flailing soon revealed itself when the cloud cleared and a figure much smaller than the monster was crouched atop it and sporadically burning orange flames entangled the giant entity.

               "Oikawa, you god damn imbecile!  What the hell are you doing?!"

               You recognised that infuriated scathing tone.

               "C-Can we talk about that later, Iwa-chan?  I mean, that, uh." Oikawa seemed more frightened by the appearance of his best friend rather than the monster that had been trying to kill him.  You were personally a little jarred by the dark-furred bushy tail and triangular ears the shorter male sported.  Those sorts of features did not particularly fit the Iwaizumi that you knew.

               "Then what are you waiting for?  Hurry up and seal it so I can do my part!  Shit, I'm really bad at this hoax-y stuff, ugh." The Roadless let out another choked shriek, but that only seemed to further irritate the male atop it. “Shut it already!" The coal-haired boy stood from his crouch and the flames dissipated.  Before the Roadless could do more than squirm though, the first year stomped a foot and you could feel residual vibrations of the shockwaves from where you lay.

               "I get it, I get it!  What'll we do if you cause an earthquake like that, Iwa-chan?!" After his momentary panic, Oikawa took a deep breath and concentrated once more.

               The Kitsune chanted a string of that harsh language as several cerulean will o' wisps floated from his palms.  Oikawa continued his mantra as the small flames floated to surround the Roadless and Iwaizumi, still perched atop the writhing entity.  Once seemingly in place, the wavering wisps each spouted thick chains made out of white and blue fire.  The burning links criss-crossed and wrapped around one another to form a structure reminiscent of a cage.  The chains started to emit small embers, and soon a complete barrier of see-through flames was set up around the grounded Roadless and Kitsune holding it down.  The brunet also finished with his chant at the same moment.

               "All right, Iwa-chan.  All set to go and no need to hold back!" Oikawa announced cheerfully as he set his palms to face the cage.  Azure flames surrounded his hands and flicked in time with the chains that surrounded his friend.  Iwaizumi nodded in reply and set to work.

               What followed brought back recent memories of how Kuroo and Kenma had fought the Roadless in your apartment just under a week ago.  Their perfectly synched teamwork and the seamless movements that carved away at the entity's body overlapped with the scene in front of you.  Oikawa seemed to be constantly adjusting the flames he produced and you realised that they formed a kind of barrier as you could no longer feel the vibrations of Iwaizumi's physical work.  The ink-haired male demolished the Roadless' body bit by bit with coordinated attacks while he dodged any retaliation with perfect reflexes.  The male rolled and twisted through the air fluidly, it was mesmerising to watch when you could actually track his high-speed movements.  As soon as he found some sort of footing, be it the ground or against Oikawa’s cage, the ink-haired boy would immediately kick off from his perch and once again become a blur in your vision.  Within the limited space and with such a large body, the monster entity could barely move and was soon reduced to what looked like crumbled pottery by the Kitsune.  Eventually, like last time, all that remained was the clattering skull as it shivered violently among its shattered body parts.  Iwaizumi made quick work of the final piece and kicked it into the cage wall.  The gray bone was set ablaze and scattered into ash as it came into contact with the flames.  When the broken remains of the body started to crumble into dust, Oikawa's cerulean and alabaster flames also began to dissipate.

               "Oh man, am I glad you showed up, Iwa-chan.  You’re always so good at this kind of manual labour!  That thing would have been a real pain to handle on my own.  Thanks a bu-guh!" In the middle of the brunet's praises, Iwaizumi spared not a sound nor second before marching up to the taller male and punching him right in the gut.

               "You freaking dumbass!  Why the hell did you drop your illusions?!  As soon as I noticed, I had to run out in the middle of class and search half the campus only to find you fighting a huge-ass grown Roadless like that all on your own!  Just-go-drop-dead-already!" Various kinds of punches punctuated each word of the dark-haired Kitsune's last sentence.  It only took a few moments, however, for Oikawa to recover from the harsh barrage.

               "I didn't mean to!” the male argued as he cradled a reddening cheek. “It's because all of that suspicious stuff has been going on with senpai so her spiritual energy went berserk when I accidentally touched her and it messed up my abilities for a bit.  By then, that huge Roadless came by so I obviously had to be her knight in shining armour!" Suddenly, the first year donned a look of realisation. “Ah, that's right!  Senpai, you can come out now!  Iwa-chan and I took care of everything!" The brunet waved at you energetically, having seemingly forgotten your earlier qualms with him.  Though apprehensive, you were not particularly intent on staying on the pagoda flooring, so you shuffled out from under the table and retrieved your bag.  Still, you refused to take a single step closer to the two foxes.

               "Hey, what's wrong?" Oikawa called over, but you remained silent in your conflict.  You were still pretty upset over the sudden reveal that your only two friends were not actually human—Kitsune you had heard Oikawa say—and had hid it from you for the past three and a half years.  Not to mention, your recent experiences had now made you much more doubtful of any otherworldly beings, previously friendly or not.  Iwaizumi seemed to sense your unease and approached you slowly.

               "Okay, so this idiot probably screwed up a bunch of stuff, but please at least listen to us," the first year spoke soothingly and shuffled forward gradually with his hands up in a placating manner.  As Iwaizumi approached, you got a clear view of the male and your throat constricted when you reaffirmed, once again, that those two boys were not human.  Conspicuous black and white-tipped ears and tail aside, the first year had similar facial and neck markings as Oikawa.  Except, in his case, the ink-haired boy’s tattoos were dark blue and looked something akin to smoke wisps.  You shifted back apprehensively from your junior and glared as best you could with the threat of frustrated tears pricking your eyes.

               "I'm really sorry, senpai, but just hear us ou-"

               "She doesn't have to listen to a word from a couple of conniving foxes if she doesn't want to."

               A squeak left you as a pair of sturdy arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you into a frozen embrace.  While you recognised the voice, you immediately tried to wriggle out of the possessive hold, but your captor would not budge.

               "K-Kuroo, you're c-cold," you stuttered out as you began to shiver.  The Bakeneko's grip tightened momentarily before he gave you enough space to at least avoid full body contact and you settled for it.  In terms of pure strength, there was no way you could free yourself of his grasp lest the cat chose to let you go.

               "Who the hell are you?!" The sudden ferocity in Oikawa's entire being caused you to jump.  His words sounded far more like a snarl than anything else.  The dark ears atop his head were twisted aggressively while his tail lashed about behind him.  Iwaizumi's cool demeanour and outstretched arm were the only things that held the brunet back, although the coal-haired first year's body language appeared to be just as hostile.

               "Don't wanna' say.  All I'll tell you two is that this one is mine, so you can shoo now." Kuroo accompanied his brusque dismissal with a flick of his hand and leant over to rest his chin on your head.  You flinched at the cold touch.

               "Get your filthy paws off of her!!" Embers started to flare around Oikawa and the golden shine in his eyes became more prominent.  The Kitsune bared his teeth in a vicious growl, his incisors and canines looking more than sharp enough to easily tear through flesh.

               "No way.  Didn't she already reject you?  That's why she's unmarked even though your gross scent is all over her." The dark-haired cat laughed sardonically as he tapped a cold finger to your cheek.  The plaything treatment was starting to piss you off.  You were not the only agitated individual, however, as blue flames burst to life around Oikawa.  The brunet started to speak in his foreign tongue when Iwaizumi landed a solid punch to his friend's cheek, effectively knocking the taller male down.

               "He's right, you idiot, so stop making such a fool of yourself!" With his flames and spell disrupted, Oikawa nursed his wounded cheek and glanced up from the ground at his friend pitifully.  Soundly subdued, the Kitsune clicked his tongue and stared at the grass.  Satisfied with that situation, the coal-haired male turned to the Bakeneko next.

               "Look, I'm not interested in the Daughter stuff, but she's our friend.  I suggest you back off yourself, kitty-whiskers," the nineteen year old hissed threateningly.

               "Meow," was Kuroo's petulant reply.

               "You're the one who's been putting her in danger, aren’t you!  We've been keeping her safe for so long only for you to waltz in and screw up her life!" Iwaizumi accused the cat behind you.  Said entity lazily yawned, but gave no response.

               To be truthful, you had never seen either of your juniors so riled up before and, while it worried you, guilt also twisted your insides.  Still, you were hurt and wary.  The two of them were residents of Yomi and it was obvious that they were aware of Daughters and your situation as one.  To play being your friends for nearly four years while keeping that a secret was not an easy revelation to deal with.  They said they protected you all that time, but did the two of them plan to use you in the end?  You hated that you could even think like that about the two boys, but you were so unsure of everything.  Lies were one of the most damaging things for you right now and your only two friends had been caught in the middle of an astronomically disastrous one.

* * *

_-The fox's silver tongue is its greatest weapon_

_So for what reason does it speak?-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if this wordplay stuff is kind of weird or annoying? I just have a habit of creating about half of my dialogue in Japanese originally since that's how I understand character's speaking styles best and it just ends up happening. Translating it over can be tough sometimes, though.  
> Anyways, when Kuroo says "Daughter", he's using "musume" (娘) in Japanese, which can also be read "jou" meaning "(an) unmarried young woman", and "yome" (嫁) for "bride". The reader character thinks he's making a joke on turning "an unmarried lady" into a "married woman".


	7. Petunia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> Not much to say about this chapter! It's a little shorter, but that's probably because it's more dialogue-heavy than anything else. This chapter and next will hopefully help you guys get a feel for Iwaizumi and Oikawa. I realise, both as I edit and initially write, that everyone may seem to act a little off or extreme in some cases, but I hope you guys will let that slide with this whole "youkai" situation. Especially Kuroo with how insensitive or rude he might sometimes be. With the idea of "previous man-eating monster" and some of his past (which will come around), I ended up stretching his "teasing" past its usual limits, I think. Let's go with creative liberties as an excuse, eheh.

               Atop the small stove of your apartment, a teakettle rattled slightly before a high-pitched whistle started to blow from the metal nozzle.  A large hand gripped the rubber encased handle with little regard for the radiating heat and lifted the kitchenware off of the burner.  With a quick twist of a knob, the gas was shut off and the stove fire died.  Carefully, the dark-haired male cradled the bottom of the kettle with a thick cloth and poured the steaming water into four prepped mugs.  As the hot liquid pooled and immediately started to strain the dried leaves within the mugs, the water slowly faded into a grassy green hue.  While the fresh tea steeped, it wafted a pleasant aroma full of warmth and Iwaizumi, in his usual appearance, gave a soft sigh at the relaxing scent.  After the male set the kettle back on the stove, he grabbed two mugs by their handles in each hand and strode over to the low table in the conjoined living room.

               While the coal-haired boy set a mug in front of each occupant of the room, you shifted uncomfortably in your seat between Kuroo and a fox-featureless Oikawa.  The latter was still rather agitated with the former and kept a hard glare on the Bakeneko who sat on the other side of the wooden furniture.  Said cat pointedly ignored the fox's stare.  The only time the brunet stopped with his hostility was to turn to look at you to his left, but you refused to meet his gaze.  Every now and then, Kuroo as well would glance at you with some sort of wistful emotion in his eyes, but the cat would remain silent before he returned to staring at the walls.  You kept your gaze southwards and visually traced whorl patterns in the wood as you waited for Iwaizumi to finish handing out the tea.  When the dark-haired male finally took his seat opposite of you, the four of you now making a loose square around the table, he finally broke the tense silence.

               "So, first thing’s first," Iwaizumi spoke briskly before he took a deep breath.  In the next moment, the first year clamped a hand to the back of Oikawa's head and forced the brunet to bow low enough for his forehead to touch the tabletop along with Iwaizumi’s own. “We're deeply sorry for deceiving you and the trouble that we've caused you today!"

               "Huh?  Uh, well..." you tried to speak, but Oikawa interjected even with his forehead still touching the table.

               "Senpai!  Um, that is, I'm also sorry for my hypocritical words earlier today!" The brunet then forced off his friend's hand in order to bring his head up and look you in the eye. “If you can't forgive me, I understand—but!  At least believe me when I say Iwa-chan and I only did the things we did to protect you.  We never wanted you to have to suffer for being a Daughter and we really do care about you.  After all, senpai is an important friend to both of us." The two Kitsune stared at you with serious eyes.  A knot having formed in your throat, you could only acknowledge their words with a nod, but that seemed to be enough as Oikawa let out a relieved sigh and Iwaizumi's stiff shoulders relaxed.  You tried to ease your airway with a sip of your drink.

               "Well, now that you have your personal issues out of the way, we need to have a proper conversation here," Kuroo rather belligerently interrupted the mood.

               "Real smooth," Oikawa growled, for which his childhood friend gave him an admonishing slap to the shoulder.

               "I'm only going to answer questions from senpai," Iwaizumi stated sternly and then turned to you. “So, what do you want to know?" You froze momentarily, but cleared your throat and tried to speak as evenly as possible.

               "Um, in that case, what’s the story with you and Oikawa?  I mean, like, you guys go to school?" That was a terribly worded question. “What I'm trying to ask is your guys' situation!  I don't understand why you would pretend to be humans and why apparently protect me?  Something like that." Thankfully, despite your muddled speech, Iwaizumi seemed to understand what you wanted to know.

               "Well, the simplest way I can put it is that this idiot and I are basically raised to live like humans.  Yeah, we're entities, demons, whatever you want to say, but since we have the ability to interact with your world and can appear like your people, it's honestly easier to live up here than in Yomi or sneaking around everyone.  We can talk and understand each other and even live by this society's morals, so it's not like we're doing anything bad—maybe a little unlikeable when the secret’s out." The coal-haired first year shrugged nonchalantly and took a drink at the end of his explanation.

               "Oh!  Since we are Kitsune though,” Oikawa cut in, rather chirpy, “Iwa-chan and I were still taught about our race and the traditional stuff.  Everyone is also trained on how to use our strengths so we can control them when around people.  For the record, I'm a super skilled Caster while Iwa-chan is strong enough to punch me across the entire gym of our old high school!  Isn't that amazing?" The first year’s expression was so honest and delighted that you had to bite your tongue and forced yourself to remain silent with a stiff nod.  Kuroo, on the other hand, had no problems leaning over the table in a snickering fit.  Both of the foxes seemed to ignore the black cat.

               "Anyways," Iwaizumi pointedly interjected, "we don't live any differently from the general population.  Once we had decent control of our abilities, we were sent to school with everyone else while maintaining illusions to hide any extra features.  Eventually, we can also physically age at our digression, although it doesn’t change how we would appear when aged,” the coal-haired boy grumbled.  You nearly snorted when you remembered an old conversation about how desperate the first year was to reach the hundred-eighty height mark, but the male had stopped growing with not even a full centimetre to go. “Since we choose to interact with this world, even spiritually ignorant people would be able to see things like our ears and tails.  The cat here is also an example of someone who can become 'tangible' so to speak, but simply chooses not to so only people like you can see him."

               "That's because I have no interest in humans.  And you forgot the part where demons like us with related counterparts in your world—so cats and foxes—can also appear as such," Kuroo drawled and then turned to you with a sly grin. “You remember, don't you?  Back in the abandoned building where you so kindly pet and rubbed me and even scratched my sweet spots," the Bakeneko purred as he leered at you.  An embarrassed heat spread through your body and you choked on your tea, causing you to slam the mug down.

               "Don't say it like that!" you half-croaked out.

               "What the hell did you make senpai do?!" Oikawa joined in on the panic before he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you away from Kuroo and against his chest.  The brunet held you so close that you were almost sitting in his lap and your embarrassment intensified even further. “You're definitely no good!  Stay away from senpai you perverted cat!  Shoo!  Shoo!"

               "Hey!  Let go of her!" You flinched at the unexpected ferocity of Kuroo's voice.  The cat immediately moved around the table and tore you out of the fox's embrace into his own chilly one. “Don't touch her however you please!  I already told you that she's mine," the Bakeneko snarled with a hostile twist to his lips.  You struggled out of Kuroo's grasp and shivered at the lingering cold.

               "God damn!  Why are you literally so cold, Kuroo?  Oikawa and Hajime-kun feel totally normal." A small sneeze escaped you after.

               "Because, like I said, he's no good, senpai," the brunet grumbled and tried to sneak a grab for you once more, but you slapped his wrist lightly in warning.  The last thing you wanted was to become a fight prize; not to mention part of you was still sore with the boy over the “four-years-long-lie” issue.

               "To give you a correct answer,” the Bakeneko cut in, “the foxes are tangible, but I'm not.  If I decided to interact with your world then I wouldn't feel so cold to you, but I'm not like pointy snout over here and can't hide my appearance." Before either Kitsune could complain, Kuroo continued with a sharp edge to his tone,

"Anyways, there's still the second half of princess' question."

               Across from you, Iwaizumi sighed and glanced between the cat, now sipping tea, and yourself. “Oikawa and I never planned any of this.  To be honest, when we first met back in high school, I wanted to steer clear of you and it was this moron who got too attached."

               "At first!  Now Iwa-chan is the one saying misleading things.  You like senpai just as much as I do," Oikawa protested from the side.

               "As I was saying," the dark-haired first year stressed his words as he spared a glare at his friend, “I'm guessing the cat has told you how the Daughter system works, so I'll skip that.  The thing is, most entities integrated into this world don't care for the sacrifices as long as it won't affect them.  Really, if anything, we try to avoid Daughters because clashing with Roadless and beings from Yomi puts us at a pretty big risk.  You can blame this moron for everything." Iwaizumi mussed his friend's hair and the brunet let out a whine.

               "C'mon, it was the first time I'd met anyone with even the slightest spiritual sense, so I was curious.  Senpai turned out to be really nice and it was fun talking to her.  Maybe the reason I approached her wasn't very honest, but we became friends anyways." A soft smile lifted the first year's lips and you had to glance away from the earnest expression.  Iwaizumi rolled his eyes before continuing.

               "Well, since Oikawa and I decided to protect you anyways, we couldn't be half-hearted about it.  When we heard from our families during our second year that the hunt for a new sacrificial Daughter would start in a couple of years, we realised you were in a lot of danger.  A human's young adult years are their prime, which meant the timing made you one of the most likely targets.  So, well, the easiest way to ward off anyone hunting would have been to mark you in some way."

               "But the little lady here totally rejected you guys," Kuroo finished with a snide grin.  Oikawa practically bristled in response.

               "Wait, what's this marking business?" You waved a hand to garner the boys' attention.  The brunet to your right coughed slightly before speaking.

               "In simple terms, erm, I guess like a love bite...heheh," Oikawa chuckled nervously over the lip of his mug and it took a moment for the meaning to soak in before you slowly slid backwards and away from the three males.

               "Senpai, please don't distance yourself from us like that."

               "I don't know what you're talking about."

               Kuroo turned to hide his face, but you could see his shoulder's shaking with restrained laughter.  Iwaizumi had an agitated grin plastered across his visage as he attempted to control himself from lashing out.  You curled up with your knees to your chest and stared warily at your brunet junior.

               "Hah, I can just imagine how wonderfully the rejection went," the Bakeneko sniggered. “So, since that plan went bust, you two got overly friendly and covered the princess in your disgusting fox scent." Kuroo's expression quickly shifted to a grimace and you remembered the male had said something about a fox smell when you had first met.

               "Yeah, we did, and it was working perfectly well until you came along," the ink-haired first year scoffed at the black cat in return. “And that brings us to you, wet-whiskers.  Cats are nefarious for tracking down Daughters and doing as they please with them with only detrimental results for everyone else.  If you don't leave immediately, you're only going to cause even worse trouble."

               "Don't wanna'." Kuroo shrugged indifferently.  Suddenly, Oikawa slammed a hand on the table and nearly tipped over his half-empty mug.

               "That doesn't matter!  You're putting senpai in danger and, as Iwa-chan said, we aren't protecting her half-heartedly!" the first year snarled, Kitsune eyes flashing threateningly for a moment.

               "Haha, how cute," the Bakeneko mocked, but his amber eyes were hardened and serious. “And I've already told you that she's mine, so that's that, bush tail." Kuroo's yukata rustled as he shifted to make a move, but you diverted everyone's attention when you shuffled to your feet.

               "I'm going out," you declared flatly as you grabbed your things that were earlier left to rest on the kitchen counter.

               "Huh?  Wait, se-"

               "Just leave her." Iwaizumi grabbed the other first year's arm and pulled him back to a sit. “Hey!  You should be safe after all the manhandling you've been through today, but just in case, try to stay in areas with more people around, okay?  Roadless aren't too smart and won't be able to attack you in a crowd," the dark-haired male called over his shoulder.  You replied with an affirmative "ah" and were out the door in the next moment.  With the last click of the lock, Iwaizumi turned back to Kuroo.

               "All right, I want to know what the hell you want from her, kitty-claws," the first year growled demandingly, his typically smoky green eyes flashing saffron.

               "Well, what wouldn't a demon want from a powerful Daughter?  A cute one at that," the ink-haired cat sneered in return.

               "That has nothing to do with what you specifically want though." Iwaizumi's eyes had completely shifted to pure golden as he curled his lip back in distaste.  The male's canines glinted in the dimming afternoon light. 

               "Don't go prying your pointy little snout where it doesn't belong.  My business with her is mine alone," Kuroo snarled, his own sharpened teeth peeking out from under his lip.  The fur along the backs of his ears bristled sharply.

               "Even so, we won't allow anyone to hurt senpai," Oikawa replied in a hiss, black pupils no more than a mere slit against aureolin irises.

               A few seconds passed in the tense atmosphere, but the Bakeneko eventually settled himself down and only flicked an ear irately.  Kuroo rested his cheek against a propped palm and dropped his gaze to the floor.  When he spoke, his voice was strained and not much more than a mumble.

               "Like hell I would do that."

* * *

_-Even the things most precious or trivial can be forgotten_

_So where do those lost memories get left behind?-_


	8. Gladiolus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> This chapter has its charms, but it mostly serves as a lead up to the last third of the story which is my favourite section!! I should say some (positive) things about the current chapter though, huh. Well, actually, this is probably more of a half-dump and half-build up chapter so maybe that's why I'm flubbing. I added another character to the list, though! They're not even named, but it's really obvious haha. There's also a couple of links in the endnotes so check those at when you're done if you would, please.
> 
> That's really it, so thank you to everyone who is reading and to everyone who has supported me thus far! I hope you enjoy!

                Warm light heated the concrete footpath as the clear afternoon sky left the sun to shine as it pleased and the temperature was rather pleasant.  Your gaze was lowered to only watch the ground you walked.  The conversation and atmosphere in your apartment had started to make you sick and you just wanted to get away from everything for even the smallest while in order to think for yourself.

                When you remembered for the umpteenth time how this whole mess started and all the insane things that had happened to you so far, it was still hard to believe that it was barely a week and a half ago your worst worry was how badly you were procrastinating on your short story assignment.  The abandoned apartment construct had originally been a treasure trove in your eyes, but it was because of the trip to it that you had nearly been killed twice, found out you were a sacrificial target that millions of nonhuman and human lives depended on, discovered your only friends were not even human, and a profusely annoying and rather flirtatious cat was freeloading in your home.  You slapped a hand to your face and your fingers reflexively pressed into the flesh near your eyes.  You did not want to die.  There was no way you wanted to simply disappear even if there were no other people who would truly care for your disappearance.  Your two juniors would probably mourn, but maybe if they had chosen not to fool you then the sacrifice crisis could have been evaded and even remained unknown to you.  Just somehow, you thought with no real backing.  Kuroo would probably throw the biggest fit out of anyone.  You really had no idea what the Bakeneko was thinking or what he wanted from you.  The more you mulled it over, the more it frustrated you with how out of the loop everyone seemed to keep you.  You were the prime target, yet everyone seemed to think it was a better idea you remained ignorant of the otherworldly situation.  Those three, you quickly concluded, were morons.

                Irritation mounting, you huffed and stomped to a stop.  You controlled your breathing for a minute in order to calm yourself and, after that, looked up from the pathway to check your surroundings.  When a familiar garden plaza and old, brick building loomed in your vision, you realised you had managed to end up in front of your university.  A scowl twisted your lips as the recent memory of the attack just that morning flashed through your mind.  You clicked your tongue and shuffled along to leave the grounds behind.  As you crossed the street and hopped onto the opposite sidewalk, a stray idea that popped into your head caused you to hesitate before you took a left turn.  A couple of blocks later, you stood in front of yet another large gate and old building, but the front garden was somewhat smaller with trees lining a straight path rather than an open plaza.  A quick glance at the metal nameplate beside the gate made your lips quirk into a small smile.  Even after three years, you could make out a tiny chip at the edge of the steel alloy.  You had been running late one day and were about to make it through the gate before the final bell when some sort of ghost had flown right in front of you, causing you to startle and veer into the nameplate.  Not only did the wristwatch you were wearing at the time break, but you had also been marked as tardy.  For some reason, the mostly mundane mishap was a fond memory for you.  Probably an effect of nostalgia and yearning for the simpler times you had lived through and the pleasant memories you had made those few years ago.  As you traced the characters engraved into the metal plate with a finger, you laughed softly.  You had written those exact characters many times over to the point of sometimes even unconsciously scribbling your university-affiliated high school's name in the wrong places.

                Curiosity and a sense of relief brought on by the school grounds spurred you to continue your trip down memory lane.  The campus layout was still vivid in your memory as you took several turns and paths past the academic buildings to reach the back end of the cluster of gymnasiums situated in a corner of the plot.  One side of the fence was decorated with a small gathering of young maples fenced off by a brick wall that doubled as a bench.  With a slight hop to your step, you scurried over and took a seat below the foliage and basked in the cool shade.  The sound of your relaxed giggle was clear in the quiet atmosphere.

                "Man, I never thought I'd be so happy to sit in my old lunch spot again.  It was always a good place to get some alone time.  Well, for the first year, I guess," you reminisced with a bright smile that soon turned sombre. “I always tried to avoid thinking about it, but those two were really my first ever actual friends, weren't they?  After all, no one wanted to hang out with the kid who talked about ghosts and said there were monsters here and there all the time when they were little.  I even came to this school just to get out of town and, with the dorms, my parents wouldn't be so bothered by me anymore." A sigh left you as a familiar prick ached at your eyes.

                A rough shake of your head dispelled the oncoming tears and you took a deep breath.  When you closed your eyes, the back area of the campus was vividly displayed in your mind with a warm, mid-spring setting.  Cotton fuzz from flowering trees mixed with loose petals floated in the air and the smell of a nectar-sweet breeze completed the atmosphere.  It was a normal spring start to your second year in high school when that brunet had appeared from around the one of the gyms.  At first, you had paid the male little mind in preference of enjoying your lunch, but he had made other plans and came straight toward you.  Your first impression of Oikawa Tooru was not the most positive as he mindlessly flirted with you at first greeting and tasted your lunch without permission on a whim.  He even had the gall to ask you to "take good care of him" when he found out you were a year above him.  The first year boy had skipped straight to intimate first name basis and made a point to spend at least a few minutes with you nearly every day in your once peaceful lunch refuge.  Naturally, what followed Oikawa was a somewhat terrifying Iwaizumi Hajime.  Apparently, the coal-haired first year had gotten sick of being the go-to man for all of the girls who wanted to know where their favourite star setter had disappeared to.  Your initial opinion of Iwaizumi was a little more favourable than that of the brunet, at least.  Still, after the first encounter, it soon became normal for Oikawa to come snack on your homemade lunches with his best friend often in tow.  At some point, the more tolerable first year started to quite frequently ditch his childhood friend early and spend a quiet lunch with you until the other boy would show up, often a bit upset at the circumstances.

                You chuckled as you remembered a particular event near the end of the school year.  Perhaps Iwaizumi was the cause for Oikawa's personality as, for some reason, the male’s somewhat stern attitude made you want to tease him to an embarrassed red.  Something about his more responsible character seemed like it would be worthwhile to play the dunce around him and you gave in to that urge at one point.  So, as nonchalantly as you could make it, you started referring to the ace spiker as "Hajime-kun" one day.  The bright crimson flush on Iwaizumi’s face was absolutely worth the embarrassed shouting from said boy and the envious complaints from Oikawa.

                After you drifted out of the memory and opened your eyes, your gaze wandered the scenery until it landed on the small path between two of the three back area gymnasiums.  This time, a frown twisted your lips as a specific memory replayed itself at the sight of that certain spot.  It was the place that the brunet had dragged you to in the latter half of your third year before he had confessed to you.  Now that you thought back on it, there really were a lot of abnormalities about that event.  The entire situation had come out of nowhere and there had never been any sort of notice that Oikawa held romantic feelings for you.  The setter was more than obvious about how he felt about others and nearly two years with the then-second year was enough for you to realise that.  Even the awareness that the male was actually confessing his feelings had totally flown over your head at the time.  It was normal for the brunet to call you cute and even directly say he liked you on occasion.  When he had confessed, Oikawa's words were no different than those purely platonic times.  Of course, having confirmed that he never did actually like you in a romantic way helped you now make more sense of all the oddities that occurred at the time.  Particularly, after you had calmly rejected the boy, how his expression had not turned to despondency or frustration, but something closer to anxiety and subdued fear.

                After that thought, a sick heaviness weighed in your gut and you hugged your legs to your chest with a grimace as the uncomfortable force trickled up your throat.  Back then, before you had life-threatening worries or paranoia for nearly all things supernatural as you now did, Oikawa had been trying to protect you while shielding you from the terrors you were unaware of.  Both him and Iwaizumi tried to keep you safe while maintaining your casual happiness at their own risk.  They were still trying to do so and you had pretty much thrown that back in their faces earlier today.  The churning in your stomach, you reluctantly realised, was a concoction of guilt and regret at your inconsiderate selfishness.  As a chilly breeze curled around your shins and over your shoulders, you hunched further into your knees.  A weary breath exited your lungs.  After a few more moments spent moping, you uncurled from your huddle and shifted off of the brick seating.  Lethargically, you made your way between one of the buildings and the chain-link fence in the direction of the main gate.  You held your gaze to the dirt ground as you walked, but stalled when a drink can rolled by with the late afternoon winds.  The crackle of the aluminium as it tumbled over small rocks made you stop and turn back to face the secluded bench from where you stood.  At the view, one more memory from your high school years resurfaced in your mind.

                "That was how I first found this spot, wasn't it?" you murmured under the whistle of the autumn breeze.

                On a late summer afternoon just after your first year summer holidays had ended, the sound of thin metal being kicked around had caught your attention when you passed by the gyms during lunch with a drink in hand.  At the time, you were unaware of the area behind the buildings, so when the clatter echoed from down the narrow space between the walls, it was something like an adventure to chase after the ruckus.  What with your perception of the world, you had expected to find a ghost or two of maybe some old students, but what greeted you instead was a cat practically attacking an empty juice can.  The dark-furred animal had no collar so you assumed it was a stray—a thirsty one at that as the animal kept licking at the lip of the can after rolling it around.  If you were honest, it was only on an amused whim that you had approached the feline and attempted to offer it your left over refreshment.  You actually could not remember what you had been drinking that day, but after you shook the can to alert that cat of the liquid and set it down, the animal pounced as soon as you had backed away.  It was actually a bit of waste to watch half of the remaining drink drain into the dirt while the feline lapped at the trickle of liquid, but the cat seemed to have its fill.  A few moments were spent on a stare down between the two of you before the warning bell rang.  You had thrown the cat a short farewell for some reason before jogging off.  After that encounter, you returned to the back area with your lunch to maybe feed the dark stray, but you never saw the feline there again.  The secluded space became a nice place for your lunches thereafter, though.

                The memory was nothing particularly special, but it brought a smile to your face.  There were pleasantly normal things in your life, too, and it comforted you.

                "There's always more than one side to the matter.  I've been blindly focused on a single view, haven't I?" you chided yourself with a sigh as you passed the gymnasium and returned to the main section of the high school campus.  Even though the sun was already beginning to set, the long walk really did help you clear your mind and you felt ready to return to the apartment to properly face the boys who you hoped were still there.  Your stride strengthened with your resolution and you headed for the main gate.

                Just as you rounded a corner of the main building, a high-speed body slammed harshly into you.

                "Gwah!" the other party shrieked as the both of you tumbled onto the ground from the collision.  You only managed a surprised gasp before the fall knocked the air out of you.

                "O-O-Oh my gosh!  I'm sorry!!" a high-pitched voice squeaked and a, thankfully, none too heavy weight scrambled off of your fallen form.  You coughed a couple times as your lungs forcefully refilled with air.

                "I-It's okay," you wheezed out before clearing your throat. “Are you okay?" you asked, still somewhat grainy, as you stood and offered the other person a hand.

                Getting a good look at them, you were surprised to see quite the small girl had crashed into you, probably only around one-fifty or even the forties in height.  That explained why she was relatively light, though.  She was dressed in a familiar grey blazer and pleated, black skirt school uniform.  The same set of clothes hung in your closet as a memento of your high school days.  She must have been a first year, however, judging by the pin on her blazer lapel.  Her hay-blonde hair was ruffled from the fall, but rather cute at chin length with a portion tied up high in a side ponytail.  Nervous brown irises flicked between your face and extended hand before the girl accepted your help and shuffled to her feet.  The small hand in yours was clammy and slightly sweaty.

                "Hey, uh, are-"

                "I'm really sorry!  Thank you for your help, but I really have to g-go!" the young girl cut you off and then turned heel to flee.

                "Hold on!" Without thinking, you grabbed the girl's wrist and anchored her to you. “Is everything all right?  No, actually, there's definitely something wrong.  Tell me what’s going on and I'll help," you pressured the young student.  You realised your conduct was bordering on harassment, but something about her set off an alarm in you, as if you would torturously regret leaving the girl if you did.  When you saw a spark of hope in her eyes that were otherwise saturated with a deep fear, your grip tightened.  This girl needed someone, a lot like you had before you met Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

                "P-Please just get away from me!" she pleaded.  Before you could argue, a painful chill wracked your spine and the girl in front of you visibly shook as well.

                The two of you both opened your mouths to speak, but your voices were drowned out by a grotesque, gurgling howl that echoed across the schoolyard from a nearby building.

                You were far too familiar with the cold shock and sickening twist in your gut caused by that soul-piercing wail.  Pebbles and dirt showered to the ground and you turned your gaze towards the sound to find the Roadless perched upon the roof edge of the school building.  From below, you could make out half a dozen spindly legs that looked like crooked and bent stilts, the unsteady limbs forced to continuously fidget and readjust their stance.  With every shift, the metallic legs reflected the crimson light of the lowered sun and they appeared as if to be awash in blood.  In the centre of the pointed supports was most likely the main body in the form of a large mass of sludge suspended by a few tendrils of the sticky load attached to the base of each leg.  The body would sway with the fretting limbs and occasionally bounce up and down with its attachments acting as bungee cords to keep the heap from flying away.  It was faint from a distance, but the stench of rot and decay wafted from the slowly evaporating slime that oozed and dripped from the source.  Soon, with the undulating movement of the mass of slime, the "head" appeared.  Like the first Roadless that attacked you, the mournful skull swam along the sludge as a singular dark grey spot against the conglomerate of sickly greens, purples, browns, and the like.

                "Shit," you hissed under your breath and unconsciously squeezed on the small girl's wrist that you still held.  The first year whimpered at the force, but said nothing as her focus was also trained on the grotesque creature.

                The abomination above let out a croaking shriek and leapt from its perch.

                "Run!" you shouted at the stunned girl and harshly pulled her along as you took off for the main gate.  The young student let out a short scream and scrambled to keep up with you, tears leaking from her eyes.

                 _Try to stay in areas with more people around, okay?  Roadless aren't too smart and won't be able to attack you in a crowd_ , Iwaizumi's advice rang clear in your mind in a near-perfect imitation of the male's slightly husky voice.  You clicked your tongue and wondered sarcastically to yourself if just three people would count as a crowd.

* * *

_-Sadness eats at the heart until only a hole remains_

_Counting smiles can slow the process-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [[Mini]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwWPPwZCUAAm2Wc.png:large) [[refs]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwXiN9iCIAEYOt7.png:large).


	9. Hyacinth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> I'm sure a bunch of cat fans are going to enjoy this chapter. It was really fun to write, though, and I was definitely looking forward to this part haha.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this chapter while I sleep for three days. Repasting [[mini]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwWPPwZCUAAm2Wc.png:large) [[refs]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwXiN9iCIAEYOt7.png:large).

            The late dusk air was crisp and its chill burned in your lungs with every laboured breath you forced yourself to take.  Even in the cold temperature, your body burned from exertion.  Behind you, the petite blonde gasped desperately for oxygen as she tried to keep up with your frantic pace only to continually stumble, but you kept a solid grip on her wrist and forced her to continue on running.  Only a little further back you could hear the screeching and grating of steel crashing against and skimming concrete and tar.  A gurgling wail echoed from the rear and you forced your legs to move even faster.

            "I...!  I ca-!" The girl tried to choke out a complaint, but you roughly tugged her forwards and started to half-carry the blonde with an arm around her waist as you continued at the high pace.

            "Save it!" you spared the breath to reply.

            The small, town roads you sprinted through were almost empty, but you had no choice as the residential area separated the two of you from the busy city and shopping centres.  In the corner of your eye you could make out convenience stores or small family businesses among the blurred houses that slowly grew in frequency and helped you gauge how far or close you were.  Against the frantic thumping of your heart and ragged panting, you could catch the occasional clamour of the Roadless skittering after you.  Just a little more and you would be safe, you repeated to yourself over and over again.  Another step could save your life and the young girl's next to you.  When the ruckus of your pursuer ceased, you chanced a glance over your shoulder and nearly screamed at the sight of the Roadless falling from the sky just behind you.  Its spindly legs stabbed into the ground, causing a web of cracks to expand in the tar and the ensuing shock wave from the landing knocked both of you off your feet and into the air.  With barely a thought, you tightened your grasp around the student and shifted to shield her body as best you could with your own.  In the next moment, the impact as your back slammed into the road knocked the wind out of your lungs, but you refused to loosen your protective hold as the two of you rolled over loose gravel and then skidded to a stop.

            It hurt.  There was pain burning and stabbing into your senses, but there was no source you could blame for the agony that made you grit your teeth and screw your eyes shut.  Everything ached and you could only soak in the sensation until a soft force rocked against your chest.  Though weak, the taps to your torso caused the flesh to sear and you tried to scream, only to choke as air forced its way back into your empty lungs.  The conflict sent you into a coughing fit that burnt your throat.  As oxygen returned to your system and your blood pumped, however, adrenaline also started to flow and the sensations of hurt dulled to a bearable ache.  Soon enough, you managed to crack your eyelids open.  A quivering blonde mess greeted you before your vision cleared and the first year student in your embrace came into view.  You could feel her trembling against your body as the occasional cough rocked her forward and into your chest.  A quick glance over of the girl showed there were scrapes and dirt littered across her legs and clothes, but she seemed otherwise uninjured, much to your relief.  The ease in your system was short-lived, though, as the ground quaked and you bounced slightly with the rumble.  Steel glinted in your peripheral and you grimaced as a spindly leg of the Roadless came into view.  As virtually useless as it was, you brought the young girl as close to your body as possible and glared bitterly at the slowly orbiting head of the aberration.  Rays of crimson bounced off the metallic material as one of the limbs raised into the air, a pointed tip poised to end your lives, while you squinted against the glare.

            In the next moment, a dark blur whipped past your vision and the creature threatening you howled as it suddenly collapsed to the side, its grounded foreleg now unbalanced and under the main body.

            Brown and yellow caught your attention as a figure leapt into the air before tumbling back down in a forward roll.  As they collided with the monster, a loud crack of wood against stone resounded in the empty street as the geta on the foot of the assailant slammed into the Roadless' skull.  The entity let out a grating screech as it crashed into the ground and stirred up a dust cloud from the shattered road.  The granules caused you another pained coughing fit as you squinted against the dirt.  Wood scraped against the littered debris until it clacked to a stop, the sound suspiciously close to you.

            "Hey, you're gonna' have to run," a soft, but familiar voice drifted hazily from above.  Amongst the cloudy air, the first thing you managed to make out as you gazed upwards were a pair of small and rounded cat ears.

            "K-Kenma...?" The Bakeneko cupped a cool hand against your cheek and you flinched away.

            "I managed to stun it, but I can't defeat a Roadless like that on my own.  We need to run—now," Kenma hissed the last word somewhat forcefully, and you took the hint.  As badly as your body protested, you forced yourself up with the dual-haired cat's help and dragged the young blonde in your grasp to her feet as well.

            "Hey, are you okay?" You shook the girl's shoulder for her attention.  The shock of the situation had rendered her rather unfocused, so you brought her face between your palms and squished her cheeks until her eyes cleared and she came back with a gasp.

            "C'mon, we've got to go." Without waiting another moment, the male grabbed your arm and pulled you along at a somewhat fast pace.  You kept a grip on the student as well and the two of you fought the burning aches in your legs to keep up with Kenma.

            From behind your slightly wobbly train, you could hear the occasional screech of metal on metal as well as scrapes against the road.  The Bakeneko also noticed the sounds of the Roadless probably regaining itself and picked up speed.  You wanted to tell the cat to slow down or complain about the icy burn of Kenma's hand, but you held your tongue.  As weak as you felt, since the male took the lead, you could hear yourself rapidly getting closer to the city centre as a shout or car horn would echo from a distance.  The ground rumbled again and a chill started to creep through your flesh.  The petite blonde behind you let out a squeak at the same time and started to run just a little faster, confirming your concern that the Roadless was probably in pursuit once more.  This time, you yelped slightly when Kenma tugged you forward by the wrist so you were lined up beside one another and then slowed to a brisk walk.  You were about to question the taciturn cat, but he placed a clawed finger to his lips and then turned a corner before pulling you into the middle of a bustling crowd.  Nimbly, the Bakeneko weaved through the various people while you struggled a little to keep up and constantly glanced back at the student at the end of your line.  Soon enough, though, the three of you exited into a rather spacious park with mostly scattered couples flirting among the trimmed grass and the occasional senior citizen having a moment to their self.  The naturally dark brunet pulled you along until he managed to find an empty bench and finally let your tired bodies rest.  Dignity forgotten, you slumped into the seat with ragged breaths and the blonde student followed your actions in a similar state on the other half of the bench to your right.  The nearest couple tossed the two of you an odd glance, but otherwise paid you no mind.  Your rest was quickly interrupted, however, when Kenma tapped your cheek with a cold finger for your focus.

            "Wallet," the Bakeneko spoke concisely with an outstretched hand.  Your brow furrowed in confusion, but you dug the thin leather—a secondary wallet with the bare minimum rather than your main one left at home—from out of your pocket and handed it to the cat as he requested.  The male turned heel and left you there without another word, but you were too worn out to question his actions.  Instead, you turned to the rather pitiful girl sprawled on the wooden bench next to you.

            "Hey, you okay?" you rasped.  Although her breathing seemed to have calmed down, the small blonde was trembling and missed your question.  When you brushed your fingers against her shoulder, she jumped in her seat and almost toppled over.

            "Whoa!  Okay, try to calm down, please.  We're safe now and it'll be okay." You did your best to soothe the young student and sighed in relief as some clarity returned to her chocolate irises. “Are you all right?  Although earlier I..." the words, however, stalled on your tongue.  What were you supposed to say?  The poor girl was probably in shock and bringing that Roadless up as the first conversation topic was not going to help her.  Repressing the instinct to click your tongue in dissatisfaction, you forced the best smile you could and introduced yourself to the blonde instead as you tried to help her ease up. “I'm guessing you're a first year in high school?"

            "Ah, yes!  I-I'm Yachi Hitoka, a first year," the girl offered meekly, but she seemed far more comfortable than the terrified mess she had just been. “Um, excuse me, but... what was that?" Yachi's voice cracked near the end and you noticed the hands in her lap clenched tightly in an attempt to subdue their quivering.  You sighed in empathy and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze.

            "Before that, you're not hurt, are you?"

            "N-Not at all, actually.  Thank you for that." The girl looked at you with such gratitude that you could not help but laugh a little in relief.

            "That's good.  Then, well-"

            "Here.  Water."

            Both Yachi and you bit back shrill screams as a third voice interrupted the conversation.  When you whipped your head to the left in response to the voice, you almost crashed your face into a plastic bottle suspended before you.  Standing right in front of the bench, Kenma held aloft a bottle of water in front of each of your faces, as well as your wallet coupled with the drink in his right hand.  You took a moment to process the situation before accepting the objects.

            "C-C-C-Cat?" Yachi, however, seemed preoccupied with other matters.  The petite blonde shifted in an attempt to hide behind your frame and almost made you spill your bottle as you tried to take a sip.

            "You should drink," the Bakeneko muttered somewhat sullenly as he flicked the remaining bottle in emphasis.  When you noticed his dark ears twist in a dejected manner as Yachi hesitated, you had to stifle a giggle.

            "No need to worry, Kenma here is actually the one who saved us," you reassured the girl. “He's a friend!" you suddenly added without thinking and the sentiment surprised yourself.  When you looked back up at the dual-haired cat, however, he seemed equally caught off guard by the statement before a small smile curved his lips.

            Though still a little hesitant, the young girl accepted the drink from the Bakeneko with a stuttered "thank you".  Her thirst must have finally hit her at the first touch of water as she drained nearly half the bottle right after.  A rather satisfied sigh left her as she finished and the blonde seemed to be in pure bliss until she remembered she had company.  Her cheeks flushed rosy pink and you laughed.

            "U-Um, thanks again for the water... and thank you for s-saving us!" Yachi bowed as deeply as she could in her seat in a show of gratitude.  Unfortunately, Kenma appeared quite uncomfortable with the situation, so you decided to step in.

            "Me as well, thank you, Kenma." You offered a short bow of your head before continuing. "What were you doing out there, though?  Kuroo had said that you wanted to stay away from any trouble, so I can't really think of it as a coincidence."

            "I'm on pick up duty," the male answered.

            "Huh?"

            "Kuro called and asked me to come get you since the Kitsune wouldn't let him leave, but he didn't want them going after you, either," he surmised.  Behind Kenma's concise wording, you could imagine the far messier situation that must have occurred.

            "So that's how it is.  It was really lucky you found us when you did, then," you noted with a sigh.  The sombre implication behind your words was left to hang as you finished off your drink.

            "You two... are really friends?" Yachi suddenly piped up from the side.  The girl's expression was a mix of surprise, confusion, and even a little awe as she glanced between the two of you.  A grin spread across your face.

            "We are!  Actually, I know another cat like Kenma here, although he can get really annoying at times.  Ah, there are two foxes as well."

            "Huh?!" she half-shrieked and you laughed at the girl's shocked face.

            "It's a long story, but they're good people.  No, wait, it's more accurate to say they're not bad people," you corrected yourself with a dubious glance to the side. “You see, they can get really bothersome and act without taking my feelings into consideration sometimes.  All three of them are also really needy, honestly, they're such a troublesome bunch." You felt as if you were describing your little siblings when images of Oikawa and Iwaizumi appeared in your mind. “I've had a few run-ins like this already, though, and..."

            Yachi cocked her head curiously as you paused mid-sentence.  A vision of Kuroo with his snide grin joined the two other boys in your mind and you sighed softly before finishing your short speech. "Overall, really, they've treated me pretty well and have basically been trying to keep me safe even though they didn't have to.  I've been really lucky... and ungrateful, I suppose." A dry chuckle escaped you and a wry smile pulled at your lips.  You were not sure if you were more frustrated or relieved to finally admit your fault in the situation.

            "Then maybe you should apologise when you get back," Kenma cut in rather bluntly, but you only hummed in agreement.

            "Yeah," you affirmed and then turned back to the blonde beside you. “So, Yachi-chan, how are you with, um, the circumstances?" The girl blinked a couple times before a frown twisted her lips and she only shook her head.  You smiled softly and patted her back.

            "I..." she hesitated as her voice cracked, but pushed on, "I could always see weird things since I was little.  They weren't always clear, but no one else could ever see them.  Whenever one was near, I would get really cold.  I thought I was crazy for a while." Your heart ached as Yachi bit back a sob, understanding all too well how she must have felt. “Those things, though, they've never attacked me.  It was like I never existed to them, actually, so I just learnt to ignore everything, but just when things were going so well..." the girl had to stop as she could no longer talk through her sniffles.  Almost immediately, you wrapped your arms around her in a loose hug and did your best to soothe the young blonde.  Kenma seemed to reach forward as well, but quickly stopped himself and shuffled in place awkwardly.  You smiled at the male and he sighed quietly before moving to sit on the ground on your side of the bench until you were done.

            "All right, just let it out until you feel better.  It's okay now and I'll help you out, so don’t worry," you reassured the first year in a hushed voice until she managed to control her sobs.

            "What can I do?" she asked softly, tears still pooled in her eyes.  You pulled away, but kept a comforting grip on her shoulder.

            "Well, you're young so, from what I’ve heard, you'll probably attract less attention from those things at least.  The best I can tell you is you'll be safer the more people there are around.  Just stay aware and don't try to take everything on yourself, okay?  It should only be for a little while longer, so fight hard!" You ruffled Yachi's hair and grinned as brightly as you could.  The young girl managed a giggle and smiled in return.

            "Ah, it's also a lot more dangerous around times like dawn and dusk since it's like the merging of the two worlds.  At the very least, Roadless are completely blind at night so you'll be safe then," Kenma added as he popped up over the armrest of the bench.  The rounded ears atop his head flicked around apprehensively.

            "Thank you!  I'll be sure to remember!" Yachi smiled widely at the cat and you swore the faintest hint of pink rose to his cheeks.  It was just the last rays of the nearly set sun, the male would probably argue.

            "It's really late, though," you mumbled as you stared up at the already visible waxing moon.

            "I-I'm sorry!  I dragged you into all of this today and now it's night and dark and—sorry!  Um, my home is actually nearby so I'll be fine on my own." A little clumsily, the girl clambered to her feet and bowed to both you and Kenma each. “Thank you for everything!" With that, the young blonde abruptly started to jog away, but you quickly stood and called out to her.

            "Ah, Yachi-chan!  One more thing!"

            She paused, already about a half dozen metres away, and turned back at you, her empty drink bottle still clutched in both hands.

            "You shouldn't try to do everything alone!  If you have friends, then trust them!  They must be worried about you!!" you shouted maybe a little too zealously, but without a care.  Although it was a little hard to make out, a bright grin most definitely lit up Yachi's whole expression.

            "I will!" she shouted back and waved spiritedly before taking off once more.  As you watched the girl until she disappeared into the night crowd, Kenma came to stand beside you.

            The two of you stood in silence as the final light of the sun faded from the horizon.  The stars and moon offered minimal light in the urban environment.  Time seemed indefinite as the two of you, human and Bakeneko, simply stood in the near-empty park.  That is, until Kenma took a breath and spoke of the very notion you had tried to completely wipe from your mind throughout the entire previous conversation.

            "She's a Daughter as well, that girl.  If you trick her into going with me, I could offer her to the upper echelon as a replacement and you'd be safe."

            Only the wind whistled in reply to the dual-haired cat.  The gravel path underfoot crunched as you took a small step forward.

            "Let's head back.  I want to apologise for worrying everyone."

* * *

_-Hold dear what you believe is worthwhile_

_Value is nothing more than a mass of misconceptions-_


	10. Snapdragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> For those of you interested in Kenma, he has a companion story that will be posted after Cattail is finished. That said, there's not much to say about the chapter itself. It's hard trying to convey nondescript yet indisputable actions and proceedings. I'm also so bad at writing straightforward, healthy relationships I just always seem to defer to emotional struggle first. Someone bury me alive.  
> We're basically three-fourths through the tale now! Thank you everyone who has come this far with me and I hope you enjoy!

               The chilly evening was mostly silent, only interrupted by the rhythmic clack of wooden geta and ragged footfalls that were half dragged over the urban roads.  It was not cold enough for the heat of one's breath to become visible, but the low temperature was rather uncomfortable in your exhausted state.  After your cue to head home, nothing else had been spoken between Kenma and yourself.  The pace back to the apartment was almost infuriatingly slow, but your condition prevented anything faster.  If you were honest, a part of you dared to ask the Bakeneko to carry you back or to at least lend you a shoulder.  Unfortunately, constant contact with the cat’s frigid body temperature in addition to the icy night was not something you felt you could endure.

               The lack of conversation was actually quite comfortable with the dyed-blond.  As the travel dragged on, however, a metaphorical itch in the back of your mind began to grow and spread until you could not help but open your mouth.

               "Hey, Kenma?" you breathed.  In the lulled evening, your soft voice was still clear.

               The addressed male glanced at you and flicked his ears in acknowledgement.

               "Uh, so last time you came by, you ate the daifuku in my fridge, right?  They... weren't too old, were they?" You chuckled nervously and tipped your vision away from the cat, but you still caught his subtle grimace at the question.

               "I couldn't move for half a day after," he replied.  A torturous guilt immediately fell upon your shoulders and weighed you down.

               "I'm sorry!" you half-moaned in apology, the words somewhat muffled by your palms planted ashamedly against your face.

               "It wasn't a big deal.  Don't worry about it," Kenma tried to soothe you, but the words were weary more than anything else. “And so?  What did you really want to ask?" Ochre eyes, faintly luminescent in the dim night, stared directly into your own and you let out a nervous laugh.  You were caught.

               "Well, actually, I meant to ask if you knew why Kuroo is so bent on me?  If he's after one of Izanami's Daughters, why did he choose me?" The words left you almost breathlessly.  Finally having voiced the heavy question, a weight in your chest dissipated, but the pressure was soon replaced by an anxious discord in your gut.  Kenma blinked at you before he hummed slightly and turned to look at the murky night sky.

               "Ah, well, I don't really know," the Bakeneko answered airily.

               "That so," you replied in your own light tone. “I'll have to ask him myself, huh?" Your stomach gave a queasy roll at the notion.

               "But," the male suddenly continued on in a more confident voice, "since it's Kuro, he wouldn't do anything bad per say.  He can be selfish, pushy, annoying, and maybe a little spiteful, but he knows his boundaries.  He's doesn't particularly like seeing people upset and miserable, just a little annoyed sometimes."

               "A little?" you retorted with a cocked eyebrow.

               "Just a little," Kenma repeated, a faint smile on his lips.

               "The two of you... must know each other quite well," you prodded with some hesitation.  Your initial choice of words had included "friends", but a part of you felt apprehensive of implying that sort of level of intimacy.  The other Bakeneko seemed to act as casually per his norm, but something about Kenma just seemed a little too reserved and estranged in his own demeanour to breach that social tier.

               "The two of us pretty much grew up together.  Although he used to kind of bully me from time to time when we were small, Kuro was the only one who bothered with me so we just kind of stuck together." The entire time Kenma spoke, he kept his gaze turned elsewhere and you noted his somewhat vague word choice. “I'm not very strong, you know.  I'm almost too weak to be considered something like a Bakeneko.  I don't like interacting with others yet I always worry about what they think of me and ended up the way I am.  Kuro says my head makes up for all of that, but sometimes it's not enough."

               When the last echo of the male's words died off, you said nothing.  There was something more underneath the partially blond's short story, but you felt far too uncomfortable to press him for details.  Even if his face was out of view, Kenma could do nothing to hide his tense shoulders and the slight quiver in his voice.  The cat had definitely been on the edge of mentioning something he would probably rather not bring up, so you chose not to speak of it.  Sometimes it was better to not touch on certain subjects, even if to give some sort of vague conciliation, and so the night turned silent once more for a short while.  Once you noticed the male regain himself for the most part, though, you stopped and reached over to tug on the Bakeneko's yukata sleeve for his attention.  Copper irises glowed softly in the dark as the male stalled and turned to look at you.

               "I can't really tell if you're weak, but I don't think that's an entirely bad thing if you are." Your words were soft, the day's tolls apparent in your somewhat drained behaviour. “If being like that is the reason you're you, then I like that weak Kenma.  Even if you're not strong, you still saved Yachi-chan and me today so, even if you're lacking sometimes, you were more than 'enough' today." Through your tired senses, you stared the dual-haired boy in the eyes and smiled as earnestly as you could manage.  Kenma gazed back with a mild, but clearly astonished expression.

               Before the cat could reply, however, you tugged his sleeve once more as you continued forwards and back home.  The male stumbled slightly in his stupor, but quickly returned to walking beside you once more.  As you looked straight ahead and said nothing more, the Bakeneko also held his tongue.  The two of you let silence have its turn in the conversation as you strode homebound at the same languid place.  When you soon arrived at the apartment lobby, you opted for the rather slow elevator.  A few minutes later, you were on the complex's third floor and only a short corridor from home.  After you stepped off of the lift, however, Kenma decided to tug your clothes for your attention this time.  When you glanced back at the boy, his ochre gaze flicked around and his shoulders hunched a bit more than usual.  He looked as uncomfortable as the day he first showed up at your apartment window.

               "Um, that's... thanks," the male half-muttered while staring off to the side.  Despite his obviously flustered state, there was so little a hint of pink on the boy's face that you were not sure if he was actually blushing or not.  With the current profile view, however, you did manage to catch his human ear poking out from under those wispy locks.  You were treated to an interesting show of watching the pale flesh slowly flush to a rather pleasant rosy red.

               Pretending you had not noticed the cat's discreet blush, you grinned in reply and gave his shoulder a friendly clap.  Kenma's lips curled upwards just the slightest bit.

               "I'm going to head off now, if you don't mind." The cat stepped back as he spoke and started to climb over the low-rise wall of the outer hall. “I'd rather not deal with foxes," he added at the confused furrow of your brow.  You let out an "ah" in comprehension and relented with a sigh.

               "All right, then.  See ya’, Kenma, and thanks again." You gave the male a short wave before he took his leave and dropped from the open wall.

               With the Bakeneko gone, you completed the short trip to your apartment and pulled out your key as you stopped in front of your door.  A soft click of the lock and turn of the handle later, you swiftly made your way in.  When you entered the main room, before you could even open your mouth to announce your return, a large but very warm weight enveloped you in a tight hug.

               "Thank god you're okay!" the person gasped in relief as they pulled you close.  Unfortunately, that only served to make breathing difficult for you.

               "O-Oikawa... air, please..." you choked out.

               "Ah, sorry!" The brunet quickly released you from his grip and you took a couple deep breaths to regain yourself. “Um, senpai," Oikawa started to speak, but you quickly held up a hand to cut him off.  The male's expression immediately shifted to one of distress and grief, probably thinking you had decided to never forgive him for deceiving you.

               "It's all right," you reassured the first year with a gentle smile. “Actually, I'm sorry for leaving like that.  I took some time to think and it should have been obvious earlier, but you were just trying to protect me without disturbing my life, so, well, thanks," you ended up mumbling the last part, a little embarrassed and probably resembling Kenma from just a few minutes ago. “Hajime-kun... and Kuroo, too.  Thanks," you addressed the other two males still seated at the table and offered a short bow of your head.

               After a couple of moments, Iwaizumi heaved a sigh as he rose to a stand.  His feet padded softly against the tatami floor and the first year soon stood before you, Oikawa shifting out of the way.  Knowing the coal-haired male was quite the expressive person, you were at a loss as Iwaizumi stared at you somewhat blankly and simply stood there.  You peeked past your junior to see if Kuroo, still seated at the table, would give you some sort of hint about the situation since you had left, but the Bakeneko was busy preening his tail and obviously ignoring the other happenings within the apartment.  When you returned your gaze to the male before you, Iwaizumi's expression was now one of restrained frustration with his eyes pinched closed and his lip curled back to reveal gritted teeth.  Just as you tentatively opened your mouth to question the boy, one of his large hands suddenly buried roughly into your hair and pressed against your scalp.  A yelp left you as the ink-haired male almost violently mussed with your head.

               "You can tell now, right?" Iwaizumi practically barked at you as he released his offending grip. “You saw me just this afternoon obliterate a monster with these same hands.  It's an established fact that I can cause miniature quakes if I tried hard enough.  This is the sort of strength that could crush your head without a second thought, but I won't let that happen because I, along with this moron, chose to protect you.  Now that you've realised that, don't look so dead.  You're my only source of sane company what with Oikawa's constant idiocy." As he finished speaking, Iwaizumi returned to your hair with both hands this time, but gently set to fixing your ruffled locks.  Finishing the task quickly, the male gave you a soft pat to the head before staring you down with a huff as he awaited your reply.

               Unfortunately, you could not manage to bring out your voice and simply nodded, dumbfounded, in response.  It was deemed an acceptable action, however, as your junior breathed in relief and offered a rare, soft smile.

               "Hey, that's unfair!  Why is Iwa-chan getting all the good parts of the reliable best friend figure?!" As expected, Oikawa interrupted any sort of mood there was, whether it was wanted or not.

               "Don't raise such a fuss so late at night," the shorter male scolded the brunet. “We should also actually be going now," Iwaizumi addressed you this time as he grabbed Oikawa by the arm.

               "A-Are we really going to leave senpai here with the cat?" The first year seemed as if he wanted to complain further, but the entity in question decided to finally join in on the conversation.

               "Your coat will turn grey from all that worrying," Kuroo teased lightly from the table.  The offended fox started to growl, of all things, only for Iwaizumi to warningly tug the brunet's arm.

               "C'mon.  Whether you like the guy or not, you should understand by now." Though the vague words naturally made little sense to you, Oikawa calmed down after the chiding and reluctantly followed after his friend as they headed for the door.

               "If anything at all comes up, let us know, okay?" Iwaizumi called over his shoulder before leaving.

               "I'll even throw myself on the ground and beg my family for you to stay at our place if you want!" Oikawa gave you one last grin before exiting the apartment and closing the door behind him.  A click echoed as one of the males locked the entryway with the spare keys you had given them some time the previous year.

               Despite the relatively small space of your single apartment, everything felt so spacious as silence filled the room that your juniors left.  Neither Kuroo nor yourself felt inclined to chase away the emptiness.  As your fatigue of the day decided to remind you of its presence, you stumbled over the short distance to the table and practically collapsed half-atop the furniture.  The Bakeneko watched you with only mild interest in his expression.  Part of you was thankful for the lack of teasing so far, but you were also worried about the far away look in the male's eyes that were usually alight and full of excitement.

               "...I'm back," you greeted more than a little belatedly.

               "You look tired," Kuroo replied with mild sarcasm as a smirk titled his lips and his usual persona seemed to start to return.

               "I took some time to try to sort myself out.  In the end, I ran through everything that has happened since summer break, remembered some mixed happy and painful memories, met another Daughter, was chased down by a Roadless with her, only got away by the skin of my teeth thanks to Kenma—good call on sending him by the way—and now I've come home to another night of you freeloading in my apartment.  I'm exhausted," you managed to ramble off all your worries in a single breath.  Your vision started to blur a little by the end and you pinched the bridge of your nose in an attempt to clear it up.

               "Aw, you make it sound like I'm a bad thing," the male drawled as his typical teasing resurfaced.  It was normal for his personality to irritate you, but—combined with your intense stress and exhaustion from the day—something within you snapped at how the black cat remained so casual.

               "You are.  You're really terrible for me, Kuroo!  All of this started because you decided to follow me home from that abandoned building!  Why?  Why was it me?!" you could not help but cry out in aggravation.  It was not absolutely certain that the Bakeneko was the direct cause for all of your grief, but he definitely held a heavy fault in it and you had nowhere else to vent your frustrations.

               "Don't say things like that." The black cat’s voice dropped half an octave as his playful nature was buried under the stern request, but it did little to calm your emotional state.

               "Like what?!" you pushed on hoarsely and ignored the serious stare that Kuroo gave you. “Earlier, just before coming back, I had the thought to sacrifice another person's life so I wouldn't have to be scared anymore!  Because you showed up and started all of this in my life, I wanted to have someone else die in my place!  I can't stand all of this—I can't stand you, Kuroo!  You should have never-!" You were cut off as the Bakeneko slammed his palms atop the low furniture and probably fractured the wood.

               "Don't," he spoke softly and kept his head turned down, avoiding eye contact. “Anything but that, just don't say something like that," the male trailed off into a whisper before settling back down and finally raised his head.  It was as if you forgot how to breathe for a moment as liquid copper stared at you with unbridled intensity.

               "What do you care?" you retorted, short of breath.  Separated somewhat by the table, Kuroo shifted until you were within reach and skimmed your cheeks with his fingertips.  You repressed your reflexive flinch at the cold touch.

               "You're suffering—I know that.  I know it's because I decided on you that day, but I'm not going to apologise for it nor will I change my mind," the cat's words rang definitively.

               "Why?" you gritted out as fiercely as possible.

               "I have my reasons and I need you to just believe that they won't bring you any intentional harm." Kuroo shifted once more to sit directly before you.

               "If you have reasons, then tell me," you countered, none too impressed with his theatrical romantics. “I'm sick of you grinning and joking as if it doesn't matter and then trying to play the vague sweet talker once things are made serious.  You've put my life in danger, so just tell me why," you practically begged, simply too exhausted to keep up a stronger face as even your head bowed in both physical and mental fatigue.

               It was like that, face lowered, Kuroo cradled your cheeks in his large palms before air puffed on your forehead and something soft, yet just as icy as his hands, brushed faintly against your skin.  The contact lasted for a mere moment before the cat pulled away and your head snapped up to gape at the entity.  The dark-haired male's expression was completely blank, however, and you were not sure if what you thought had happened really occurred or you were simply that tired and out of it.  It would have been nice if you could have convinced yourself of the latter.

               "They're going to start scouting for a replacement within the week, so be careful," the Bakeneko warned you flatly before standing and exiting into your room.  There was the grating of wooden frames sliding against one another and the whistle of the night breeze before the window slammed shut.

               Even after Kuroo had left, you sat in the now far too spacious living room without moving.  You stared at the wall and you wanted to believe the tears that welled in your eyes were because you refused to blink.

               "Anything but that, not because of something like that, Kuroo.  Please..." you pleaded in the empty apartment.  The solitude felt unnatural and, for the first time since moving into the place, you hated it.

* * *

_-Actions have more weight than words_

_But words never said hurt the most-_


	11. Delphinium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> We're almost there. This chapter and next were meant to be one whole thing, but I was having too much fun and things got too long haha. Something light and fluffy is probably a nice breather after everything, though, so enjoy! I love Hajime-chan so much someone help me. Also, [[timeline update]](https://i.gyazo.com/11693fd0191d6d05374dd5878c8906c6.png).

               "In addition, your midterm test times will be released next week.  Please abide by the seatings and schedule provided or your results may be voided.  That's all for today and you are all dismissed."

               With the last words of the balding professor behind the theatre podium, chatter and the clack of fold out desks being swung back erupted from the full seating.  Drowned out by the rancour of your surroundings, the tip of your pencil tapped methodically against the empty lines of your notebook.  The mostly white sheet was devoid of your usual notes or even the mindless scribbles that occurred when your mind was elsewhere, as was the current situation.  A sigh passed your lips before you pulled your writing utensil back and started to pack away your materials.  Soon enough, you hefted your bag up and joined the last trickle of students exiting the hall.  As you passed under the doorway, you noticed a familiar head of short-cut black hair idling at the edges of the crowd.  Slipping past the other bodies with the occasional apology, you eventually popped out near the waiting person.

               "Afternoon," you greeted.

               "Hey," was Iwaizumi's plain reply.  Not needing to say much else, the two of you set off for the main gate.

               Three days had passed since the tumultuous barrage of a double Roadless attack and the truth about your juniors was revealed.  Frankly, you were still just a bit skittish around both of the first years, but you tried your best to not let it affect your relationship.  The boys were perceptive, though.  They understood your need to acclimate and would not push you if you really hesitated.  At least, compared to how awkward and unsure you had become concerning Kuroo since that night, your surviving friendship with Oikawa and Iwaizumi was a much-needed comfort.

               "Hey, what day is it today?" you piped up through the silence between yourself and the ink-haired first year.

               "Tuesday," he replied swiftly. “Ah, that means you need to head downtown, right?" the male added as an afterthought.

               "Down...?" you mumbled hesitantly before your memory jogged itself. “Oh, right!  It's market and sale day.  I even missed last week's when I was under house arrest." While you clicked your tongue in irritation, Iwaizumi gave you a look that very much expressed his confusion at your statement, but did not press for an answer to his curiosity.

               "I'll go with you," the male said instead.  You startled slightly at the sudden self-invitation and stopped in your tracks, the two of you now just outside the campus gates.

               "Huh?  Um, but what about Oikawa?  He'll get fussy if he learns you ditched him." Truthfully, you were still a little uncomfortable going alone with your junior.  Part of you wanted to slap yourself for being so wary, but it was not as if you could control the churning in your stomach.

               "That idiot has to do a make-up lab until late today after he ditched his scheduled class on Friday," Iwaizumi scoffed while you chuckled nervously to the side.  If you remembered correctly, Oikawa had ditched his classes to search for you on that morning when you had hid in the gardens.  Just a sprinkle of guilt was added to the unwelcome brew within your gut.

               “Anyways, it'll be a pain, but you'll have to bring back more food than usual this time, won't you?  I'll help you with that, all right?" After speaking, one of the male's large hands easily covered your head and ruffled your hair.  You squeaked softly at the force, but it was actually a comforting action.  Things in your life were a little out of control at the moment, sure, but Iwaizumi was still Iwaizumi.  Even if he was supposedly younger than you, the dark-haired male was the best of your trio at taking care of others with you being his second biggest worry after Oikawa.  Well, the shorter of the two would claim his childhood friend to be more of a nuisance than a concern though you knew better.

               "If you would... thanks," you mumbled, somewhat embarrassed at the male's personal brand of affection.

               His warm palm gave you one more pat to the crown of your head before Iwaizumi headed off in the general direction of the marketplace.  After a short jog to catch up with the first year, you both walked at a moderate pace as idle chatter of what to buy started up between the two of you.  The early afternoon sky was cloudy, but rain was not a threat.  By the time your pair arrived at the open market located at the edge of the city, however, the breeze had dropped a couple of degrees and the two of you agreed to not linger too long if it got any colder.  A variety of foods and items were passed between yourself and Iwaizumi as you wandered the stalls and pondered what to buy.  The occasional joke item from you would pop up in the male's vision and your junior humoured you as best he could.  That was, at least, until you showed him a matching pair of dog collars for him and Oikawa.  The coal-haired boy forced some ice from a nearby chilled commodity down the back of your jacket for that one.  A scream at the cold shock almost escaped you, but you held back.  After frantically removing the ice from your clothes and huffing at a chuckling Iwaizumi, you noticed the product that the male had actually taken the chilly cube from.  While the fact it was ice used for fish that had just partially melted down your body deeply grossed you out, the specific fish caught your attention.  A quick inquiry with the stall manager later, you were walking away with a single shopping bag filled with some fresh fish.  Iwaizumi was forced to carry all of your other purchases as retribution for shoving literally fishy ice down your clothes.

               "You have to be honest!  You're the first one at fault here—I mean, dog collars!  C'mon!" the dark-haired boy argued gruffly as you both headed to your apartment.

               "Sure, but that's nothing compared to what you did.  You're the one who dropped ice used for fish carcasses down my shirt!  That's just unsanitary and I'll probably have to burn these clothes now!" you countered and glared indignantly at the male.  The sun now floated closer to the horizon than its high point in the sky.

               "You can replace your clothes, but I'll never be able to replace my purity and dignity after that," Iwaizumi grumbled and glared back half-heartedly.

               "It could have been worse for you.  At least Oikawa isn't here," you pointed out in return. “Oh, speaking of that guy"—you pulled out your phone from its usual place and lit the screen—"how many messages did you get?"

              When your junior stopped walking and said nothing, you turned back to face him and were greeted with a flat stare as the male spread his arms while more than a half-dozen bags hung from his limbs.  You laughed.

               "All right, all right!  I'll take this half so check your phone already.  I have seventeen texts and three missed calls from our missing boy." Although Iwaizumi grumbled as you took a share of the plastic bags, he immediately dug his phone out of his pocket once free and checked his screen.  With a sigh, the ink-haired male turned the device to face you.

               "Twenty two messages, five calls, and a voicemail," he rattled off, more disappointed than anything.  You, on the other hand, marvelled at his tally.

               "That's Oikawa's best friend for you!" The awe in your voice was not entirely fake, but it was not without a not-so-hidden jeer at the first year.  Iwaizumi groaned and shoved his phone away.

               "The things I put up with for the both of you should get me a Nobel Peace Prize or something."

               "Nah.  Even if you did win one, you'd still find something to complain about at the podium," you goaded the male.  Just as Iwaizumi's hand shot out to deliver punishment to your head, you kicked off in a sprint towards your now visible apartment building.

               "Get back here!" your junior shouted as he chased after you.  The two of you eventually made it to the complex and even up the outside stairs before you collapsed against the wall near your door, completely out of breath.  Iwaizumi was barely panting when he caught up a few seconds later.

               "Moron," he scolded as you laughed airily and worked to regain your breath.

               "Th-Thanks," you puffed between breaths.  You actually meant the gratitude in regards to him carrying your bags, but the roll of the male's eyes suggested he probably took it as a reply to his insult.  Regardless, once you were breathing normally again, you extended your arm for the remaining purchases as the other hand retrieved your key.  
               "Uh, you sure you don't want me to take them in?" The coal-haired first year cocked a brow and you gave a shaky laugh as you struggled with getting your key.

               "Well, inside is..." you trailed off and flicked your eyes towards your door.  Realisation clicked in your junior's mind as you saw his expression shift into a frown much deeper than usual.

               "I'll handle the lock so just take the bags," Iwaizumi offered as he relented the plastic to you and searched for the spare key in his possession.

               "Thanks," you breathed softly in relief at his understanding.

               "Oikawa may be an idiot, but he seriously would do anything to convince his family to let you stay with them," the male spoke gently as he fitted the key into the lock, but you shook your head.

               "No, that will just put everyone there in danger.  He has a kid nephew, right?" The lock clicked and you noticed Iwaizumi grip the handle tightly without turning it.

               "Just make sure to take care of yourself then, okay?"

               "Of course."

               Seemingly satisfied, the male opened the door for you and shut it once you were inside.  While you slipped your shoes off, the door clicked once more to affirm being locked.  Your arms were starting to feel the weight of the bags, so you rushed into the main room and headed straight for your kitchenette.  Once the bags were safely set on the counter, you meekly glanced over to your bedroom door on the living room side of your apartment.  Normal routine used to involve some sort of ridiculous greeting or annoying prank as soon as you arrived home, but Kuroo had since ceased that behaviour for a few days now.  This would have been a welcome change if the Bakeneko's habits had not become even more worrisome instead.  Now, whether you went out or were at home, the dark-haired cat seemed to spend all of his time in your room and staring out through the single window there.  The atmosphere around the male was absolutely suffocating, so you had taken to spending your time in the living room.  If Kuroo ever actually noticed you the times you would slip in to grab something, he made no sign of it.  As soon as night fell, you would hear the cat exit through the bedroom window and he would be back in your living room, somehow, by the time you woke up.  The new setup was tense and uncomfortable and you greatly disliked it.

               "I hope this works," you muttered to yourself as you began to unpack and organise your purchases.

               After ten minutes of juggling various produce and products you may or may not have been able to actually cook or use in the future, everything was set in its rightful place with a few ingredients for the night left out on the counter.  The leftover plastic bags were stored away for later use.  When you checked your phone for the time, the digital clock greeted you at about ten till five in evening.  Your tongue poked past your lips as you debated your options.

               "Well, an early dinner wouldn't hurt," you decided after a couple of minutes and slipped your phone away. “I also need to finish before it gets dark or buying this would have been kind of pointless," you added as you started to unwrap a paper package left out with some produce.  Under the layers, you were greeted with a few silvery fish somewhere near forty centimetres long each.

               A hum left you as you eyed the already descaled bodies.  Simply throwing the ingredients in with some basic soy or oyster sauce sounded a little boring, so you grabbed your phone once more and smoothly unlocked the start up screen.  A quick web search later and you smiled as you found the recipe you were looking for.  With your intended meal decided, you set to work.  After quickly deboning and prepping the fish as the main dish and leaving them to salt, your focus shifted to the side dishes.  The rice cooker was set before you started on a mixed vegetable stir-fry and a black bean sauce dish.  Time passed by as you immersed yourself in cooking and the pans on the stove started to multiply.  Soon enough, it was time for the fish to join the ensemble.  Thankfully, the vegetables and other things had finished by then and you managed to clear off the burners for your main entrée.  While the rest of the food cooked, you swiftly readied some condiments to join the platter.  After several minutes, the aroma of grilling seafood started to waft around within the apartment.  You inhaled the savoury scent and glanced over to the other side of the room as the smell grew stronger.  As time passed, you flipped the fish.  Eventually, you had to take the dish off of the stove grill or risk charring them, but that brought a disappointed sigh from you.

               "Did I seriously think cooking fish would work?" you muttered to yourself as you set the grilled food on a plate.  The rice cooker let out a short tune to notify its finished work and you shuffled over to unplug the machine.  When you turned back to add the final touches to your entrée, however, you were not sure whether to scream, laugh, or even cry at what you saw.

               "...Ah cam eshfrain," Kuroo tried to speak around the freshly grilled fish he had stuffed into his mouth.  His ears twitched when your expression shifted angrily.  To add to the scene, the cat even had the remaining three pieces gripped between his fingers, two and one in each hand.  The final touch to the situation was, as you stared at him in your stupor, the male dared to continue chewing the food already between his jaws.

               "Leave some for me damn it!" you ended up shouting as the Bakeneko’s left hand started to bring another two pieces to his already full maw.  Watching Kuroo swallow a whole grilled fish in one go was not a sight you particularly ever wanted to see.

               "But it's mackerel pike!  You cooked these just for me, didn't you?" he practically whined.  The male licked the remnant crumbs from his lips and waved the fish in his right hand after he spoke.

               "I bought those"—you walked over and smacked his hands to release the food—"for dinner!  Yes, I was hoping they would finally pull you out of my room, but I need to eat too, you idiot cat," you grumbled as you tentatively handled the still hot fish.

               "You're strangely mild today.  And honest, too," Kuroo remarked with an obviously piqued curiosity.  You scowled and kept your back turned to the Bakeneko while you pretended to focus on fixing the meal.

               "Wouldn't the strange one be you?  You've spent nearly four whole days avoiding me and doing nothing but staring out the window until night.  I... was worried.  More than that, it kind of scared me." You bit back a whimper at your own weakness, but admitting how you felt about the situation seemed like the only thing you could do at this single chance to possibly change it. “When you act so distant in my home of all places, it's lonely.  It just... reminds me of how I grew up..." you muttered the last part before your voice died off and you immediately mentally berated yourself for even bringing that topic up, and to Kuroo of all people.  The heavy insecurity that bubbled up from mentioning your earlier years had you hunched slightly and loosely hugging yourself, the excuse of still handling the fish long forgotten.

               Then, a cold weight enveloped you from behind and you tried to jump at the shock, only for the icy arms locked around your waist to hold you down.

               "Aw, I actually made the princess upset.  Let me make amends," that smooth voice purred by your ear and you could feel blood rush up your neck.  When a certain muscle, chilly and moist, dragged over the shell of your ear, you lost it.

               "You're cold, damn it!" you shrieked the first excuse that came to mind as you struggled from the cat's embrace.  Although, once free, there was nowhere to go as you were trapped near the kitchen counter as the dark-haired male’s body blocked your path out.  Thankfully, Kuroo made no move for you and remained where he was, though with an unsatisfied huff.

               "Cold, cold, and cold.  You keep complaining about that even when I'm being so kind," the black cat sulked and crossed his arms with a pout, his tail lashing around behind him.  You refused to meet his amber gaze and glared off to the side.

               "Well I don't like it!  And that's not the only problem," you argued, though the latter sentence was reduced to a soft mutter.  Kuroo sighed.

               "At least the princess seems to be back to her usual, privileged self," the Bakeneko mocked as his trademark smirk returned. “It'll be dark soon, though, so I think I'll head out early."

               "Hold on!" you called for the male without thinking as he turned away, but you did not let your embarrassment hinder you. “Where the heck do you keep going?  Like I said, the way you've been acting, it's worrying," you grumbled while you did your best to keep your eyes raised from the floor.

               "You're really beginning to sound like you like me," the cat snickered and grinned impishly over his shoulder. “My future bride really is cute, but you don't need to worry.  I've just been meeting with Kenma elsewhere to get reports on the situation on the other side is all.  Since you're so concerned though, I'll try to come back early just for you.  You should start practising how you'll welcome me home for the future," Kuroo suggested with a wistful sigh as he turned back to face you once more.  You grimaced at the entity.

               "I don't even know where to begin.  I'm also not sure if dealing with you on a consistent, but more tolerable basis, or infrequently, though far more infuriating, is worse."

               "Both sound like fun to me, but we can decide that after the sacrifice business blows over.  We'll have all of the time in the world then." Amber irises seemed to darken as the Bakeneko's pupils dilated and his half-lidded gaze reflected the room light. “Plenty of time for talking and other things." The pale tip of his tongue swiped over the male's upper lip and you repressed the urge to shield your ear in response due to his earlier actions.  With a casual wave thrown over his shoulder as he turned, Kuroo slipped back into your room and the sound of the window sliding open before clacking shut signalled his exit.

               Although you were once again left alone in your apartment, the solitude no longer suffocated you.  The sense of relief and contentment that replaced the oppressive weight of the last few days tried to force a relieved grin to your face.  It probably resulted in an interesting expression as you fought against the gleeful reaction.

               With your domestic worries mostly settled and relative peace restored, you set back to your once forgotten dinner.  Naturally, the food left on the counter had long since gotten cold with the exception of the rice left in the pot.  Not up to the task of properly recooking the dishes, you simply spooned whatever amounts you desired of each dish plus one of the remaining mackerel and popped it all into the microwave.  As the your dinner warmed in the machine, the leftover meal was packed away in containers or cling-wrapped plates and bowls.  By the time you had eaten your dinner and finished cleaning up the kitchen, it was a solid couple of hours into the night.  After a relaxing shower and some pre-reading for your upcoming classes as your hair dried, you eventually felt your eyes start to droop before a yawn escaped your mouth.  You figured that was a decent sign that you could use some shut-eye.  Easily convinced and hardly opposed to a comfortable sleep under the covers of your futon, you shut your laptop and tucked in for the night.  After so many consecutive nights of nothing but restless tension, the relaxed drowsiness of your mind as you snuggled into your covers was nothing short of pure bliss.  This night was sure to be a good one, you thought before your mind sank peacefully into unconsciousness.

               With the days leading deeper into the autumn season, the nights were certainly becoming colder.  If your clothes were not warm enough or the covers slipped off of you in the middle of the night, a cold chill was sure to force you awake.  That, however, was not the issue that caused you to stir.  On the contrary, it was strangely warm, almost too heated under your typically comfortable blanket that it even felt a little stifling.  Despite the discomfort, you ignored the overbearing warmth and tried to force yourself back to sleep.  Unfortunately, the heat of your body only seemed to rise and eventually dispersed the fog of rest from your mind.  Groaning in detest, you cracked your eyes open and blinked blearily.  Daylight glowed from behind the shutters of your room window, which meant it was not some ungodly hour in the morning.  It was a small comfort.  Still, your body felt heavy with heat so you moved to kick off the blanket and roll to a, hopefully, colder section of your futon.  So you attempted, anyways, until your hazy consciousness realised something had you locked down in place and, whatever it was, also happened to be the source of the undesired extra warmth.  

               Another groan bubbled in your throat before you tried to twist your way out of whatever had you pinned.  Between your distaste for the temperature and morning fatigue, a thought for what was causing you such discomfort hardly passed through your mind.  Until, amidst your struggles to free yourself, one more groan echoed in the room and said guttural rumble most definitely did not come from you.

               "What the..." you mumbled as you froze in place at the sound.  It took a few more seconds for your head to snap into clarity.  When it did clear up, you became acutely aware of two things: it was a pair of arms around your waist that had you pinned to the mattress and, whatever or whoever had a grasp of you, was pressed quite closely along your back with their face buried against your neck.  Countless thoughts and questions ran through your brain as you attempted to fully grasp the situation, but that train came to an abrupt stop as the arms around you tightened slightly and the body beside you stirred.

               "Yer' 'wake already?" a familiar deep purr slurred from behind before a yawn escaped them.

               "K-Kuroo...?" you questioned tensely and received an affirmative hum.  All of your previous apprehension at the situation immediately dissipated as you finally identified the one keeping you grounded in their embrace.  Those emotions, however, were soon replaced with a great amount of ire and some confusion. “What the hell are you doing in my futon?" you hissed and tried to jerk out of the Bakeneko's hold, but the cat only pulled you closer before he nuzzled into the nape of your neck.

               "Mm, well a good morning to you, too, princess," he crooned into your heated skin.  Far too heated, at that.  When you opened your mouth to snap at the male, you realised that it really was too warm.  Kuroo was holding you and you felt warm.

               "Will you let go of me?  I'm going to get heat sickness at this rate!  Why the heck are you so hot?" Between the questions and remarks, you almost managed to force your way to freedom.  At the last moment, however, the dark-haired cat pulled you back and flipped your form so he once again trapped you.  This time, though, you were now actually pinned under the entity as he straddled your waist and hovered his face above your own.

               "Why thank you for admitting how attractive I am." Kuroo chuckled. “As for an actual answer: you kept complaining I was too cold, so I'm doing the same thing as those foxes and made myself visible just for your sake.  Now, if that's all, let's settle down and get back to sleep, all right?  Being tangible or whatever you want to call it makes me tired." As if to prove his point, the Bakeneko let out a yawn and blinked blearily.  Clearly still sleepy, the male rolled off of your form and settled his head back on the pillow as he dragged you into a close embrace once more.  Kuroo nuzzled into your hair before his breathing started to even out.

               "Damn it, Kuroo—let go!  I have classes today!"

* * *

_-Do not be scared of solitude_

_It is separation that drives one mad-_


	12. Orchid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [OLD NOTES]  
> Second to last chapter are you guys ready? Haha, there's no way you are. Really, though, thank you to everyone who has come so far with me and I hope you guys stay for the last chapter as well! I really love this first portion with Oikawa, I just want to say. Getting to write these chapters with Hajime-chan and Oikawa was really important to me and I hope people liked them.  
> To keep from disrupting the latter portion of the chapter, I'm linking and explaining everything up here. [[Timeline update]](https://i.gyazo.com/98a91034400a9ee4c5b50bc7f1d7da5b.png). [[(Mid-chapter) Design reference]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxZ8WevCUAA6eZ0.png:large).  
> *Hajime-chan calls Oikawa "Kuso Oikawa" in which "kuso" can be translated into English in different ways, but it's basically a very versatile curse/insult. Because of the somewhat linking "o" vowel between the two, it's often translated as a portmanteau such as "Asskawa" or (god forbid) "Trashykawa", but I prefer "Shittikawa" since it's easier to link the spellings. "Charoikawa" uses "charai" (a notoriously tepid and flirty kind of guy).  
> *Tengu (天狗) are mountain spirits that resemble crows, but their name actually literally translates to "Heavenly Dog". The English version has a more oppressive feel in the right context, so I used it instead. Also, since I went with white instead of black, it didn't feel right using a name that connotes black feathers and crows.

               "Aah, that stupid cat.  I was almost late for my morning lectures," you grumbled and pinched the bridge of your nose in hopes of stemming an oncoming headache.  After your rowdy wake up of finding Kuroo having made himself comfortable in your futon, you were forced to make a mad dash out of your apartment and only arrived at your first class with barely a minute to spare.  Naturally, the rush caused you to skip your morning meal, so you were now seated at one of the campus cafés and eagerly awaited your order.

               "Not to be rude, senpai, but you look terrible."

               "Shittikawa."

               "And in a terrible mood to boot." The brunet laughed off your greeting as he took a seat at the square table across from you.  The male flagged down a passing waiter and gave a quick request for his food before returning his attention to you.

               "At least when I arrive before you, terrible mood or not, I remember to order your pretentiously specific chai latte instead of flirting with the servers," you scoffed and pointedly flicked out a finger at the paperboard cup that the male was taking a sip from with an amused smile.

               Since your schedules aligned quite well on the day, it fell into habit for you and your junior to meet up for lunch nearly every Wednesday.  The location was typically the cafe that the two of you currently occupied, but sometimes one of you would decide to move elsewhere with a quick message to alert the other.  While you admired Iwaizumi's ability to focus in class to the point of keeping his phone off, you liked keeping the prospective distraction available.

               "But they like talking to me, so it would be rude if I didn't indulge them a little," Oikawa responded before taking a mockingly dainty sip of his drink with a satisfied sigh.  It never ceased to amaze you when the brunet could always tell if you flubbed his order.  Be it something like an accidental two sugars instead of two and three-quarters or one ounce of cold milk instead of his desired five-sixth's, he would give you this pitifully disappointed look before calling over a server to reorder the grossly complicated drink.  Actually, his being a Kitsune was a pretty logical explanation for the case when you thought about it.  There was no way a human could so accurately taste a sixth's or less difference in cold milk.  A sigh passed your lips as you ended that train of thought and returned to the more present concern.

               "Is it just me or have you become far more blatant about your flirtatious habits in the last few days?" You gave the male an unimpressed stare and drummed your fingers in idle thought before an idea popped into your head. “Wait, is this because of that whole marking thing?  Now that getting a warning bite on me is no longer priority number one, you're free to act as frivolously as you want?  I've lost faith in you, Charoikawa," you tutted as you shook your head.

               "Cha-?  I'm not that bad, senpai!"

               "You're not even denying the whole statement."

               "Well, I can't say I don't enjoy the attention," the brunet reluctantly admitted, “but I enjoy being in senpai's good graces far more.  It'd really suck if you started to think so lowly of me as one of those types of guys." Oikawa moped and shot you probably one of the most pathetic looks you had ever witnessed.  The worst part was that he was an attractive nineteen year old with expressive sienna eyes and it worked far too well in his favour.  Thank the myriad of gods you never actually fell for the boy.

               "Don't do that, Oikawa, it's so gross to see you act like a kicked puppy," you groaned and somewhat dramatically shielded your eyes with the back of your hand.  The brunet laughed at your display and was about to retort when one of the café waitresses stopped by your table.

               "Your orders," she announced airily and set the meals before the two of you before taking her leave.

               "Oh, sweet!  I missed breakfast so I'm starving!" You happily called your thanks for the meal before digging in to appease your impatient stomach.

               "Senpai, you can't skip meals like that," Oikawa scolded as his expression quickly soured with the new information. “If you don't take care of yourself, I'll even get that fur ball to start nagging you."

               "The last thing I need is a third surrogate parent," you rejected with a grimace.  A quick mouthful of food was eaten before you spoke once more. "Also, I'm surprised you would ask Kuroo to do that.  It's actually been kind of bothering me how you and Hajime-kun just left it all be.  What happened while I was out and about that night?" You tried to pose the question nonchalantly, but a scowl twisted Oikawa's mouth instead and it made you a bit restless.

               "Well, we kind of forced some of his reasoning out of him, but we promised not to mention any of it to you.  Even though I feel like you should know about it, I can't exactly say anything.  Also, it's probably something you should personally talk to the cat about yourself.  I'd feel like some sort of lecher if I told you." The first year mindlessly shuffled his meal around as he sulked about the circumstances.  As curious as you now were, you hardly felt as if you could pressure the boy.

               "Can't be helped, then.  I'll just talk to Kuroo myself later." You shrugged and placated your junior with a smile.  Unfortunately, your pleasant moment was rudely pushed aside as the brunet stole a bite of your food.

               "Oikawa!"

               "Consider that as my payment for being such a supportive junior today, heheh!"

* * *

               A pleased whine escaped your throat as you stretched your arms behind your back, the stiff muscles loosening with the pull.  As you exited out from your last class, you could see the sun hanging midway in the afternoon sky and the air felt a little cooler than compared to a few hours ago.  A frown pulled at your lips and you figured you should get home quickly before dusk came around.  Oikawa and Iwaizumi had an obligatory late-running series of classes and you refused to let them interrupt their studies just to walk you home.  Your route back was relatively well populated, anyways, since it was not too far from the university grounds, but past experiences warned you not to dawdle even so.  Heeding your own caution, you immediately set off at a brisk pace.  As you walked, you mulled over the thought of what to have for dinner.  It may have been a distraction from your surroundings, but you would rather be susceptible to idle thoughts than deal with the creeping paranoia from walking alone.  Thankfully, there were groups of students and friends clustered along the sidewalk and near stores along the way, so that relieved a little of your tension.  Just as you reached the street intersection you needed to take a turn at, you paused mid-stride and gazed at a small corner store that you were about to pass.  A large poster hanging in the window with gaudy colours advertising a sale on dried fish caught your attention and you could not help but stall.  Your feet shuffled against the concrete as you internally debated the decision before an embarrassed chuckle escaped you.

               "I can't believe I'm going out of my way just for him," you sighed to yourself as you entered the store.

               Quickly, and a little restlessly, you picked up a couple packs of the preserved fish and paid at the counter.  After offering a smile at the ageing woman behind the register when she gave you a small bag with your purchases and your change, you exited the small shop.  The immense itch in your feet to move and get home fast surprised you a little.  You were not sure what was the cause, but your body urged you to get going and to hurry about it.  Trusting in your senses, you swiftly turned the corner and were ready to make a dash for your apartment, but your legs froze as soon as you stepped out of the turn and entered the shadows of the buildings that lined the street.

               The entire length of the road before you was empty.  There was not a shadow nor echo of human presence as far as you could see.

               Terror spiked in your system and you immediately tried to turn heel to return to the more populated street, but your body refused to move.  Your toes and feet, even up along your calves, felt scathingly cold and were absolutely numb to your wishes.  As a chill slowly and torturously started at your shoulders and seeped down through the rest of your body, you desperately tried to run, move, or even crawl to get away.  Panicked tears began to prick at your eyes as you stared at your unmoving feet.  Whatever could produce a cold so intense that you were literally frozen was not something you wanted to ever encounter.  The sentiment was for naught, however, when a pair of feet adorned in traditional white tabi socks and black-painted wooden zōri sandals stepped into your downcast vision.

               "Even when considered grown, a human at your age is still but a child in truth.  It's such a pitiful thing." Baritone and smooth, almost unsettlingly so, was the voice that spoke from above you. “Though, I have to compliment you for at least remaining conscious."

               Amongst the immense pressure and overwhelming terror, you could not breathe.  The entirety of your airway constricted and it hurt.  Bit by bit, your vision began to blur and waver as your joints stiffened and ached in fright.  It felt as if you were being drowned by nothing more than the deafening sensation of absolute fear.  Slowly and thoroughly did the feeling encroach upon and dye your whole being until an icy touch, far colder than the numbness in your limbs, tapped against your temple.  After the momentary contact, a violent jolt wracked your body.  The episode caused a new burn of aches to bloom in your muscles as blood seemed to rush through your being after instantly unfreezing.  The shock and sudden intake of air as your windpipe loosened brought you into a small coughing fit, but the relief of being able to breathe once more outweighed the discomfort of your scratchy throat.

               "But to stay standing even after coming in contact with my energy, it seems you do have promise." The words were somewhat soft and probably not entirely meant for your ears.

               Though your body was still somewhat stiff, you managed to take a step back and distanced yourself just the slightest from whatever stood before you.  When you finally lifted your head to actually see what was there, you were quite surprised to meet lukewarm goldenrod irises.  The gaze was not cold and hardened nor did it hold the comforting light of warmth; it was a straightforward and unhindered stare.  They were flat eyes that told nothing, but also had nothing to hide and it unnerved you.  Clean-cut café locks were parted on the male's right hand side and brushed against his temples.  A deep purple kimono was layered over white undergarments, though only the attached gloves were visible.  Another white, short-sleeved robe draped over his other clothes further bulked up his imposing size.  Perhaps around the one-ninety mark, the black tokin perched atop his head only added to his impressive height.  White pom-poms decorated the black yuigesa sash draped over his shoulders and a pair of black umanori hakama completed the ensemble.  Vaguely, in the back of your mind, you recognised various bits of the clothing as the typical wear of folktale tengu.  Aside from the storybook attire, though, the male before you looked like any other human and it was only the prickles of ice in your spine that assured you he was anything but.

               "I'm sure you're well aware of the situation, so I'll make this quick." The male's words rolled off of his tongue in such seamless speech that it was strangely alluring, yet unsettling. “You can refer to me as Ushijima.  I am one of the Heavenly Dogs in charge of finding a suitable replacement for the current Daughter and have come to ask for your cooperation.  Are you willing to come with me?" Metallic gold irises did not waver the slightest as the entity spoke.  Solid and blank, the longer you forced yourself to maintain eye contact the more unnerved you became.

               "Am I willing?" you managed to choke out in disbelief. “What does my consent have to do with any of this?"

               Strangely enough, a sigh left the imposing male and the stiff air around him seemed to ease away as emotions began to surface in his words and actions. “Believe it or not, I can't force you to come with me." Olive tresses tussled as the male tilted his head slightly, almost as if he was disappointed, but expected your response. “If I did, there would be absolutely no way you would make it through the entrance and survive the path in." His forehead creased slightly, probably dissatisfied with the conditions he was set to work under.

               "You can't be serious.  You're asking me to willingly choose to basically die without a trace.  No one would give up everything like that." A laugh tickled in your throat at the ludicrous notion that you had a choice in the sacrificial system.  There was no way you could believe a balance achieved through practical death could be maintained by pure goodwill for centuries.

               "You'd be surprised," Ushijima countered and crossed his arms as he stared down at you with serious eyes. “If there's one thing that I would say is a human's strength, it would be their will and the limits they can surpass solely to protect what they hold important.  I'm sure you have cherished things as well."

               A soft hiss was all you could manage as you grit your teeth.  Conflict gripped at your heart as familiar laughs and smiles flashed through your thoughts.  The warmth of a large palm on your head and the fluttering in your stomach as you laughed at a stupid joke were moments that you treasured.  The comfort of having even a silent companion or someone who liked to tease perhaps a little too much were things you came to appreciate in your previously empty hours.  You refused to let those sorts of days end for you, though.

               "But what does protecting any of that matter when you can no longer enjoy it?" you argued in defiance.

               "I suppose it does take a degree of selflessness, or maybe selfishness depending on your mindset.  Even if you let your loved one's continue their lives, you force them to move on without you," the entity contemplated with a sigh. “As I said, however, I cannot force you to come with me.  Since I've told you my name, just call for me if you decide to take the role.  I will guide you to Yomi." The male let his arms fall to his sides once more and the smooth fabric of his robes softly reflected the fading light of the late afternoon sun.  Perhaps it was moments or minutes, but the air stilled as the two of you stared each other down.  Ushijima's goldenrod irises clearly reflected some sort of hesitation that hindered him from leaving immediately and his presence alone left your body too numb to run.

               Time continued once again as the entity took a step forwards and closed what little space there was between you both.

               "There is, however, one more thing I should inform you of.  Although this may be out of my jurisdiction," the male muttered the latter half as he leaned his face near yours.  You could feel a cold sweat break out in every place possible as his lips settled next to your right ear.  Swiftly yet clearly, Ushijima's said his piece before pulling back and you could only stare at him.  Again, his brass-hued gaze clearly portrayed his emotions, but this time they reflected pity and regret.

               "If you talk to your stray cat, I'm sure you'll understand the situation.  I'll be awaiting your answer." With those last words, the entity nodded his head in farewell.  A sharp breeze blew into your eyes and you squeezed them shut on reflex.  When you opened them once more, the violet-robed aberration was gone and a few white feathers floated to the ground where he previously stood.  Now in solitude, the enormous weight of tension lifted from you.  Tears immediately sprung past your lashes and blurred your vision.

               You felt like a mess.

               For the next couple of minutes, you blankly let your tears fall and focused on keeping your breathing even.  It felt as if lines upon lines of thoughts were running through your head and it made your mind fuzzy.  There was a constant tug within your chest and you could not even decipher the multitude of emotions that sped up the beat of your heart.  It was when the orange glow of the setting sun came into view from the other end of the road that you realised your pitiful state.  There was no point in standing around and wallowing.  With a vigorous shake of your head and after furiously rubbing your tears away, you started back down the alleyway once more with nothing but home in mind.  After only a few shaky steps, you started to pick up speed until you were sprinting down the roads.  The scenery was little more than a blur until you arrived at the building lobby and slowed to a stop just outside the glass door entryway before supporting yourself against the concrete wall.  Your breathing was harsh from a mixture of physical strain and emotional anxiety.  As you took a minute to calm yourself, you became aware of a dull ache in the hand that carried the plastic bag from your earlier sidetracked shopping.  Your fist around the flimsy handles of the material, you realised, was coiled much tighter than necessary.  When you unravelled your fingers, there were marks from your nails clearly scored along your palm, but they had not dug deep enough to draw blood.  Flexing your fingers to loosen the stiff digits, you took a deep breath before entering the lobby and heading for the lift.  You used the wait time for and on the elevator to try to fix your most likely frazzled appearance as best you could.  As you gave your eyes one last swipe with your sleeve, you came to a stop in front of your door.  You dug your keys out and soon entered your apartment with a weary sigh.  Too worn to care, you haphazardly kicked your shoes off and dropped both your school bag and the plastic in your grasp in the short entrance hallway.  Without much energy to spare, you took the last few steps into the living room before you let yourself drop onto your back against the tatami mats in a tired mess.

               "I've never seen you like this before.  Something wrong, little lady?" Appearing from within your room, Kuroo stared at your splayed form with a mix of intrigue and scrutiny.

               "I decided to sprint back," you muttered somewhat tersely without moving to face the cat.  Your emotions were rolling around in a fuss as you fought internally about whether to tell the male of the day's events.  Ushijima's words replayed in your mind and you sighed.

               "Hey, I talked to Oikawa today."

               "And?" the Bakeneko drawled after a moment when you did not elaborate further.  You could hear the light taps of his footsteps until the entity stood over you.

               "What did you say to him and Hajime-kun the other night?  I'm kind of worried by how easily you got them to kind of trust you and Oikawa said it was something I should know about."

               "Aah, damn foxes can't keep their snouts shut." The dark-haired male clicked his tongue and crouched down closer to you. “It was just some stuff, but do you really want to know?" The Bakeneko smirked as you blinked at him quizzically.  Before you could reply, however, Kuroo smoothly dropped his arms to cage your head and his legs shifted to straddle your waist.  Without a pause, the male dipped in to nuzzle the crook of your neck.

               "H-Hey!" you squeaked at the sudden affection.  Perhaps you were just too spent from the run back, but you could not garner the strength to seriously attempt to push the cat away.  At least the entity had taken to being tangible and warm in your presence instead of giving you constant cold shocks.  As Kuroo continued to snuggle against you, a low purr started to rumble from within his throat.  Lying under the combined heat from the male's body and the delighted hum of his contentment, you could actually feel yourself slowly relaxing under the rather pleasant conditions.  You were pretty used to physical affection thanks to you juniors' endeavours over the years and you had become quite used to the Bakeneko’s presence in your daily life.  The situation was not particularly uncomfortable—at least, until the cat decided to slip a hand under your shirt and nip at your neck.

               "Kuroo!" you shrieked at the male, a little higher pitched than normal.  Finding your previously lost strength, you slammed a fist against the ink-haired entity's sternum in retaliation.  The male grunted at the impact and pushed himself a little ways away from you, but he shook off the discomfort within a few seconds.

               "Whoops, lost myself for a second there." The cat laughed with mirth shining in his amber eyes.

               "I give you some leeway just once and this is what happens," you grumbled and glared at the cat.  Feeling a little more than awkward, you wiggled your shoulders as you tried to shift away and out of his cage.

               "Hmm, my bad, princess.  I'll make sure you're in the mood next time," the male hummed before nuzzling your cheek.

               "Would you sto-hie!" Your complaint cut off in a squeak as the Bakeneko slipped an arm under you waist and turned you over as he tumbled onto the floor.  You gasped as your vision spun for a moment and buried your hands into the cotton fabric of Kuroo's yukata.  When your sight cleared up, you found yourself pressed against the ink-haired entity with his arms wrapped securely around your body as you both laid on your sides on the tatami flooring.

               "Interacting with your world is kind of a pain, but totally worth it if I can do this," he purred before burying his face against your crown.  You could feel the soft vibrations of the hum what with the cat's body enveloping your own.  As the seconds passed in Kuroo's embrace, you started to ease into his warmth once more as his hold gave you a sense of security.  The alleyway encounter still weighed on your mind, however, as the two of you laid in relative silence for some time.

               "Hey, Kuroo?" you spoke up softly, trying not to disturb the quiet atmosphere.  The cat only hummed in acknowledgement without pulling back from nuzzling your hair, so you asked, "What will happen if Yomi doesn't find a replacement Daughter?"

               As soon as the words left your mouth, you could feel the Bakeneko still from his ministrations and your own body tensed in response.  After a moment, the male sighed before he answered, "Things will probably go back to the period between after the end of Izanami's curse and before the sacrificial system was set up.  It won't happen immediately, but everyone will get hungry soon enough—even the foxes.  That's if they'd be able to stomach eating people, anyways." Kuroo pulled you a little closer when you flinched at the last of his input. “It's nothing you have to worry about, though," he murmured before returning to his previous affectionate actions.

               With the twilight glow that filtered in from your open room as the only dim source of light, you decided to indulge yourself in the Bakeneko's attention.  Your hands gripped at his robes and you tucked your body against the taller male as his thumbs rubbed small circles where they laid against your back.  While the muffled calls of sparrows and robins preparing to roost for the night could be heard from outside the apartment, you could only think to yourself of how you definitely did not want Kuroo's possible predictions to come true.  Nestled in the cat's embrace, you vaguely felt a soft touch like warm velvet brush against your cheek before sleep blanketed your mind.  


* * *

_-To those who will say such a thing as fate or destiny exists_

_Leave me in ignorance of it or my choices may lose their meaning-_

* * *

               When the sound of bird's calls and bike bells from the outside roused Kuroo from his sleep, the cat grunted softly before turning to smother his senses with his yukata sleeve.  Unfortunately, a bit of the haze of rest cleared from his mind with every passing moment until it was impossible to dream once more.  With a disappointed groan, the cat pushed his lethargic body into a sloppy sit and yawned.  As he rubbed his eyes of the last remnants of unconsciousness, the male glanced around and realised he must have fallen asleep in the living room.  It took just another moment for him to remember exactly why he had taken to the floor for the night and Kuroo could feel his lips part in one of the most self-satisfied grins he had probably ever sported.  A night with you willingly cuddled against him was a grand leap towards where he wanted to be.  The dark-haired entity chuckled to himself in delight as he mentally recreated the pleasant warmth of your body pressed against his own and the soft tickle of your hair brushing against his cheek.  After allowing himself to soak in the exquisite gratification of the previous night's events, the male noticed a plate set on the low table in the middle of the room.  Picking up the scent of food, Kuroo shuffled over on all fours and grinned once more at what greeted him.

               "She definitely likes me," the male crooned to himself.  Upon the wooden furniture was a plateful of dried fish with a propped up note beside it that read "For you to snack on!  Thank you for everything" in your handwriting.  There was even a cute little cat’s head doodled near the words with a couple of cheerful flowers floating near it.  Quite pleased with the gift, the Bakeneko wasted no time before indulging in the food.

               As the cat contentedly chewed on a strip of dried fish, something glinted near the edge of the wooden furniture and caught his eye.  Stretching over to get a look, the entity was a little puzzled to find a set of your apartment and mailbox keys lying there.  Then, next to the quizzical pair of objects, Kuroo spotted another note.  When he read over the words—written much more neatly than anything he had seen from you before—the male was not sure he was seeing things correctly.

               Twice.

               Thrice.

               It was after a fourth read that he realised the words were exactly as written.

                _Hopefully Oikawa and Hajime-kun will have a use for the place since it's all I have to leave for them.  I really owe them a lot._  
               _Thank you._


	13. Cosmos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, let me say thank you to everyone who made it all the way to the end of this story with me. I'm really grateful to anyone who has read and, even better, enjoyed this work. A lot of what I write usually has a personal emotion attached to it and, often, I write things to help myself work through my own issues or emotional state, so a lot of the content has had a private touch in some way haha.
> 
> I hope, events aside, the actual story end is satisfying. A companion story called "Apple Blossom" is also available [[here]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19074061)! Kenma's story is more of a prequel and there's a lot you can infer about Kuroo and Kenma's characters in "Cattail" from it, so I hope readers here will read "Apple Blossom" as well if they want to expand upon and better understand "Cattail".
> 
> Last thing, then, is the usual [[timeline update]](https://i.gyazo.com/5990844249398e75dd28374e9a90747f.png). As a special for the finale, you can also have a look at all of the [[title flower meanings]](https://i.gyazo.com/74d84ab339ed40bf0f2082b7cf9e8463.png). It's interesting that, in all of the chapters, the flower and language can almost be applied to every character present in each chapter in a different way. Perhaps, though, that's just the meanings being vague and part of the "magic" of flower language. Also, this last chapter is technically from Kuroo's perspective and, while this goes against my usual conduct for "reader immersion", it was also important to the writing in itself so I hope it doesn't seem strangely disconnected from my other chapters.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone and I hope you enjoy the end!

               Thinly skinned cartilage and bone smashed into a rounded crest of the skull lying below soft flesh of the cheek.  The sound of knuckles violently meeting a face cracked loudly in the room.  Blood immediately rushed to swell at the assaulted area of the male's face as well as the attacking fist that had flown with enough force to break the skin on the back of the hand.  Minuscule beads of red fluid splattered across the tatami floor mats as the enraged male swung his arm back at the shoulder to prepare for a second punch.  Before he could move towards his target, however, another pair of strong limbs locked around his arms at the biceps and caged him back.

               "Iwa-chan!  Stop!"

               "Get the hell off of me, Oikawa!  He fucking deserves it!  We trusted you to keep her safe from exactly this you god damn useless stray!!"

                Grunting with the effort, it took all of Oikawa's strength to barely restrain his best friend.  Nearly hysterical in fury, Iwaizumi thrashed about in the brunet's grasp.  Having long forgotten to maintain a human appearance, black-furred ears slanted as far back as physically possible while the first year’s tail whipped around angrily and bristled to nearly thrice its usual size.  Pure saffron irises glared down at the subject of his rage with utmost disgust as the Kitsune snapped his elongated canines at the other male's out of reach neck.  From the floor, amber eyes stared back with flooding frustration, but no resentment for the attack.  The Bakeneko dragged a sleeve over his split cheek and let the red cloth stem the trickle of blood.  His smaller friend knelt beside the entity and helped him into a sit, albeit a little awkwardly.

               "You should wash the wound, Kuro."

               "It's not like I'll die, Kenma." The ink-haired cat grit his teeth and gave his injured face one last swipe as he returned to his feet.

               "Shit—let go, damn it!" Iwaizumi continued to struggle against his friend's restraints.  Bruises were already beginning to form on Oikawa's legs from where the shorter male repeatedly nicked and cuffed him in his efforts to free himself.

               "Not until you calm down!  If I had snapped first, you would be doing the same thing!  So will you hurry up and"—the brunet grit his teeth and forcibly turned his childhood friend to face him—“quit it already!" Without a moment's hesitation, the slightly taller first year slammed his skull against the other's.  Pained grunts escaped the both of them, but Oikawa held his ground as Iwaizumi stumbled back and ended up crouched with a knee against the floor.  Breathing a little heavier than normal, the standing first year watched his coal-haired friend for a moment before he squatted down and offered a hand.

               "Feeling better yet, Iwa-chan?  Because I don't think my forehead can do that a second time." The brunet chuckled nervously, but that abruptly changed into a restrained scream and whimper as the other Kitsune grabbed his hand in a crushing grip.

               "I'm definitely going to punch you later for that, but, yeah, I'm good now minus the bashed skull," Iwaizumi scoffed before he hefted himself back up with the other male's help.

               "I take it I can try talking now without getting wailed on?" Kuroo quipped before Kenma roughly tugged his sleeve and gave him an irritated scowl and reprimanding stare.  The ink-haired cat clicked his tongue. “As I was saying, I woke up and she was gone.  I thought she had left for classes like any other day so I didn't think anything of it until I found the note with the keys."

               "It's already the afternoon!  We have no idea how long you were asleep after she left and we could be more than half a day behind her!" Oikawa exclaimed.

               "It's all right," the smaller Bakeneko interrupted.  When all eyes turned to him, Kenma felt his throat constrict at the attention, but he had to say his piece. “She's a living human, so they have no choice but to enter Yomi through Yomotsu Hirasaka.  All first time entrants have to make it through there.  If we assume she left around the time the sun rose, with travel and preparation put together, it would still take around that half a day's length for her to get in.  Maybe longer if she has trouble with the path."

               "If she's already in, though, how are we going to catch up?  Hirasaka is a thirteen hour train ride from here," Iwaizumi argued.  Still running with high tension and unable to reassume his appearance, his white-tipped tail lashed around irately.

               "Didn't you hear him?  Kenma only said ‘all first time entrants’ use the path.  Once you've been to Yomi, it's a free pass if you can find a junction like a shrine," Kuroo explained with an expectant crease to his brow until realisation hit him. “Wait, you two..."

               "We were born up here and we've never been to Yomi before," the brunet replied with gritted teeth.  Beside him, the other first year let out an enraged growl before he sent the nearby low table flying with a harsh kick.

               "Iwa-chan!" Oikawa rushed forwards to hold his friend back once more, but Iwaizumi tensed defiantly.

               "I'm fine!" Mossy green irises glared over his shoulder as their previous golden glow faded out of appearance.  The dark-haired male's otherworldly attributes also began to waver out of existence. “I'm seriously pissed at the damn cat and that idiot right now, but, more than that, I can't believe we're useless!  We couldn't protect her from anything in the end...!" The sound of the first year grinding his teeth in frustration could be heard throughout the whole room.

               "That's not true," Kenma half-muttered and drew everyone's attention once more. “You did more than she could have ever asked for just by being with her until now.  She said so herself, so stop wasting time by wallowing in some misplaced self-depreciation," the dual-haired cat practically spat out the last of his sentence and the foxes almost flinched at his tone.  As he spoke, the lithe Bakeneko's posture and gaze hardened with a determination he was unaware that he even possessed. “I can guess where they're going to take her once they’re in Yomi and I have an idea on how to get her back, but we'll need a favour from the two of you.  I don't want to lose her, either," Kenma's final words dropped to a near whisper as his head hung.  There was a tenseness to the small male's shoulders that Kuroo recognised, but said nothing of it.  Instead, he clapped a large palm heartily against the dyed blond's back and grinned as the shorter male stumbled from the impact.

               "That's Kenma's brain for you.  Got a plan worked out while the rest of us were a little too fired up.  If it's Kenma's idea, I'm following it." The ink-haired cat turned to the foxes with hardened eyes and a determined smile. “I'm going to bring her back, I swear it, so will you hear him out?"

               "I already said I'd do anything for senpai's sake," Oikawa immediately replied.  The brunet glanced over at his childhood friend and Iwaizumi nodded in shared approval before he faced the other two entities.

               "What do you need from us?"

* * *

               _White, diamond-cut petals littered the ground as a sparse few also floated in the cool breeze and reflected the alabaster wisps that painted the bright blue sky.  The spring sun provided a joyful glow to the noontime day without creating unbearable temperatures.  A unique euphony of youthful conversation and play echoed around the school campus.  In a silent back-end area of the plot, floral debris danced with the soft pushes of the wind before a dark-furred body pounced on the whirling petals.  An amused purr left the feline as a creamy cloud erupted around itself and then softly drifted back to the ground.  A dextrous paw dabbed and swiped at the fallen flowers and leaves in play for some time before the animal soon grew bored of the mindless entertainment.  After taking a moment to smooth its coat back out, the cat surveyed its surroundings and flicked its slim tail.  Soon enough, the feline's nose picked up a sugary scent and decided to follow the smell.  Padding past a couple large buildings and through a tight passage against the campus’ chain-link fencing, the dark-furred animal popped out in a small clearing in a far corner of the school grounds.  Only a few young maples surrounded by a low brick wall populated the area, but that was of little concern to the stray as it noticed the source of the saccharine scent it had been following.  The can of perhaps juice or some other sweetened liquid lay on its side, lolling slightly on the ground with the breeze.  The feline trotted over to the aluminium litter and took a curious sniff.  It was surely sugary, but did not smell particularly bad.  Murky beads of the drink had gathered at the lip of the can and the cat could feel its tongue was a little drier than usual, so it took an experimental lick._

_Whether the liquid was particularly pleasant or not, it was palatable and could quench the animal's thirst.  It would have, anyways, if more of the substance were available.  A tap against the can confirmed the sound of remaining liquid within the confines of the thin metal, but not enough to flow past the opening.  A dull chime rang in the air as the feline swiped a paw at the aluminium container and sent it tumbling over the dirt.  When the cat caught up to the can as it rolled to a stop, a few more drops of the drink had splashed out and stuck to the metal that the animal could lap at.  Finding it to work the first time, the dark-furred stray repeated the process of batting and drinking in the secluded back lot of the campus.  Absorbed in its repetitive actions, the cat failed to notice the presence of a person as they entered the isolated space and began to watch its antics._

_"Are you thirsty?" The sound of liquid splashing within thin metal accompanied the voice.  Whipping its head up from the ground to eye whoever had appeared, the feline tensed as a student stood near the brick seating.  They swirled the contents of their canned drink once more for the animal's attention._

_Slowly, they crouched down and placed the aluminium container to stand on the dirt.  Moving cautiously under the feline's amber gaze, they stood and backed away from the can.  Once nearly out of the secret corner entirely, the animal slinked towards the drink and pounced.  Clear liquid flowed out of the blue and white-printed metal and the stray happily drank its fill.  Finishing as the last of the available fruity drink dripped off the lip of the container, the black cat swiped its pink tongue over its muzzle.  When it turned to stare at the passageway near the other end of the fence, the student still stood there watching the stray.  A few moments passed as the two stared at one another until a shrill ringing echoed from deeper within the school grounds._

_"Ah, I gotta' go," they spoke aloud and broke eye contact to glance back over their shoulder.  They turned to the feline again and blinked before a small smile curved their lips. “I wonder if you'll be here tomorrow?  I'll bring another Pocari and some extra food as well, so bye for now!  I'll come back to see you."_

_With a cheery wave, the student dashed off with a visible hop to their step._

_Droplets of the canned drink slowly and occasionally accumulated at the edge of the metal and dripped to the ground, soaking the dirt below it.  Next to the near-empty aluminium container, the feline sat on its haunches and leisurely preened a paw.  The rough muscle from within ran along the edges of its mouth once more as the animal eyed the path that the student had disappeared down.  Despite the soft lighting of the season, black pupils contracted slightly and the cat let out a rumbling purr before it stood and headed back the way it came._

* * *

               "How did things end up like this?" Kuroo muttered to himself under his breath.  The cat withheld from clicking his tongue in distaste as he pressed himself into the shadows of the stonewall he was hiding behind.  The sound of wooden sandals on dirt grew in rhythmic volume before the beat slowly disappeared down a different turn and away from the concealed male.  His sleek, ink-furred tail flicked to silently relieve the entity's tension.

               "As expected, there's a fledgling watchdog at every corner of this damn place." This time, Kuroo allowed himself an irritated scoff.

               After deeming his surroundings clear, the cat backed out from the shadowed wall and eyed the probably twelve or so metre high stone that separated him from his objective.  A couple more cautious steps backwards were taken before the dark-haired male made for a running start and leapt as high as he could.  Landing somewhere barely under halfway up, Kuroo immediately dug his claws into the rock for as much purchase as he could muster.  Not waiting for gravity, the cat nimbly scaled the wall as quickly as he could.  There was no time to rest even as the ink-haired entity reached the top of the stone structure before the footsteps of another approaching guard could be heard.  Without another thought, the cat dropped from the high edge and tried to lessen the force of his impact against the ground as he tumbled into a defensive roll.  Using the momentum, Kuroo managed to take cover behind a spattering of bushes that occasionally popped up to line the property walls.  The Bakeneko took a moment of respite and hissed at the blooming ache in his right shoulder that had taken the brunt of the fall, even if cushioned by the tumble.  The male also became aware of a spreading soreness in his fingers and could only chuckle grimly when he inspected them.  After forcing his nails to dig into hard mineral, it was not much of a surprise to find the bony material cracked with a scattered smear or bead of blood here and there.  Kuroo flicked the encroaching numbness from his hands with a theatrical sigh.

               "At this rate, I'm not going to look like much of a prince when I finally appear in front of my princess.  Speaking of, this is one huge castle I'm going to have to search," the cat casually complained.  Over his shoulder and the shrubbery at his back, the entity had to stretch his neck to painful degrees to get a full view of the traditional mansion he planned to infiltrate.  With a deep breath and a quick check for any guards, Kuroo set off once more.

               Using the sporadic shrubbery as cover, the male circled the grounds until he arrived at an expanse of meticulously laid beauty.  Four ponds with shimmering koi fish darting about the shallow depths boxed in another body of water large enough to even be called a lake.  Crystal clear liquid glimmered with the artificial light provided by the clustered jewels embedded in the stalactites that hung above.  Lilies and water pads floated among the pure fluid.  Surrounding the aquatic gardens was an array of hedges that were clearly preened and pruned on a daily basis.  Azaleas, camellias, roses, morning glories, and many more blooming flowers lined the lush garden as a variety of plum and cherry trees added to the floral scenery.  Along the entire side of the mansion ran a beautifully polished oak wood patio lined with intricately scenery-patterned shōji.  A smirk pulled at the cat's lips as he spotted set of doors left ajar.

               "How careless, but this works out perfectly for me," Kuroo purred.

               Not picking up any signs of guards or other occupants, the cat dashed forwards and slipped into the open room.  Moving quickly and soundlessly, the dark-haired male slid open a closet and pressed his body against the walls of the small space to climb within reach of the ceiling.  Finding a loose tile, the cat moved to make his way up when he flicked his ears towards the inside door of the room.  Footsteps, and they  wereheaded right for the room he was in.  The Bakeneko cursed under his breath and hurriedly kicked himself up into the crawl space.  Unfortunately, the rushed actions caused Kuroo's geta to audibly knock against the wooden beams as he moved.  Biting back a panicked hiss, the cat replaced the ceiling tile and stayed still.  Whoever or whatever entered the room below in the next moment paused in their gait.  A curious hum and the occasional confused mutter left them as they stood below and observed the state of the place.  Kuroo refused to so much as breathe as he remained frozen in the ceiling space.  After a few more moments, another hum sounded from below before the occupant's footsteps relayed that they exited the area.  Above, the Bakeneko let out a strained sigh.

               "Damn, talk about nerve-wracking," the male chuckled weakly. “I hate to admit it, but that pretty-boy fox really knows his stuff.  It's like my spiritual presence doesn't even exist." While musing to himself, Kuroo slipped a under his yukata and pressed against the metal key tucked in one of the inner pockets. “Just a few fancy words from that Caster and he managed to turn a totally normal house key into a completely effective spirit nullifying charm.  And I thought the gruff one's strength was worth worrying about; that Oikawa would be a terrifying enemy." The cat's slightly fluffed tail waved behind him and flicked once to end that train of thought.

               "All right, according to Kenma, our troublesome heroine must be located in the heart of this ridiculously spacious place.  I better move fast."

               Despite the Bakeneko's resolution, time continued at its own pace.  As the ink-haired male moved through the rafters of the mansion's ground floor, the grandeur and scale of the building became more and more apparent.  Kuroo was flitting around within the single largest compound in all of Yomi and the task of locating a single presence in the building was simply daunting.  The cat had nothing more to rely on than what little information Kenma had managed to provide and what his own senses relayed to him.  Occasionally, the Bakeneko would have to slip out from that safety of the ceiling space in order to get a grasp of his surroundings and recalibrate his sense of direction.  His ears would catch the murmurs of gossip shared between the workers and caretakers of the property and none of it proved helpful.  If anything, the hushed exchanges would only irritate the entity and inflate the sense of limited time that weighed upon him.

               "We finally found a new Daughter.  I was getting worried after so long."

               "As expected of the Young Lord Ushijima to be so quick when needed."

               "I hear this one is just a bit younger than usual, though."

               "Will she last long enough?"

               Wood splintered under the force of Kuroo's frustrated grip.  The scabbed over wounds littered across his fingers reopened with the rough treatment, but the male paid it no mind.  A strained hiss passed through bared teeth and his pupils contracted far too much for the dim lighting among the ceiling rafters.  Slurred curses flew from the entity in a single, unintelligible breath.

               "I will definitely get you back...!" the cat swore hoarsely.

               After his emotional spill, the Bakeneko paused to listen for any nearby servants.  When his senses came up with nothing, Kuroo allowed himself a heavy sigh and a deep breath after to calm himself.  As he relaxed his rhythm, the dark-haired male paused when he picked up a painfully faint yet familiar scent.  After another quick check for any presences, the cat removed one of the slats near him and dropped down from the crawl space.  Immediately, the entity took a controlled intake of breath in the room he landed in and stopped when he identified that scent once more.  It was a little stronger and the cat could definitely tell what it was this time.

               "An open field with scattered flowers under the light of the sun.  Sweet and warm without being overpowering." A smirk tilted his mouth. “I always did like the light floral kind of laundry."

               Determination steeled once more, Kuroo set off on the new trail.  Unfortunately, the Bakeneko's lead was not strong enough to be followed from the safety of the high rafters, which left him to track the scent from the ground.  Progress felt excruciatingly slow as the ink-haired male proceeded with caution.  Most often, barely a few steps were taken before he had to hide in an empty room or the like.  At some point, the cat was so focused on not losing the fading smell of sunbathed flora that he lost track of his own direction within the extensive mansion's halls.  The entity only became aware of it when the trail he was following faded to a stop in the middle of a straight hall.  Bamboo slats painted over in an ethereal depiction of nature's scenery lined the path on both sides and the wooden panelling of the floor glowed faintly under the suspended lighting.  The hallway was maybe a half dozen or so metres in length and there was neither a door nor any other turn in sight.

               Your scent had disappeared into thin air.

               "In a mansion where there are rooms practically every metre, this is so obvious I'm kind of disappointed," Kuroo quipped as he settled a hand on his hip.  Duly unimpressed, the Bakeneko huffed and gazed flatly at the beautifully painted rendition of Yomotsu Hirasaka spread on one of the walls before him.  After finding a slight gap between two of the slats, the male plucked a frayed thread from the sleeve of his yukata and dangled it before the tiny opening.

               As he expected, a faint breeze from the other end caused the thread to sway.

               "They never renovated this place to keep up with the times, did they?" Shrugging, the cat traced the junction between the wall and floor until he found a small notch.  Pulling up at the hole rewarded him with a small click and a smirk twisted his lips. “All the easier for me in the end."

               With the latch undone, the Bakeneko pressed the bamboo forward until it stood behind the rest of the walls and then slid the section of slats aside to reveal the path.  Stairs opened up before the entity that curled slightly and descended into another well-lit corridor.  A soft puff of wind from below brought with it the potent scent of sun-warmed flowers.

               "I'll be there soon so wait for me," he murmured under the breeze.  Without another moment wasted, Kuroo jumped the staircase.

               It was overpowering.  The smell of new blossoms and spring light bathed the hallway air and only grew stronger with every one of the ink-haired male's strides.  Without a spot to hide and there not being a single sign of anyone's presence around, the cat was running through the corridor with nothing but following your trail on his mind.  The path continuously turned and branched out, but the entity had no reason to falter in his steps.  Despite his physical fitness, Kuroo soon found himself panting from the mental strain of his desire to reach the end.  Before he even realised it, a shōji door loomed at the end of the hallway.  By the time the Bakeneko processed it, he had already thrown the sliding tatami open.

               When Kuroo was finally aware of his surroundings, you stood before him in layers of pristine white kimono dresses with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

               Neither of you moved.  Not a sound was made save for the soft pants of the entity regaining his breath.  As the both of you simply stared at one another in shock, it truly felt as if the world had stopped at that moment.  For Kuroo, time halted as he slowly took in the ceremonial robes you wore and the white jade comb that held your perfectly set hair.  Ivory stones hung in short trails from the ornament and swayed with your every breath.  It was obvious that your clothes were tailor fit as the neck of your kimono stopped just short of the dip of your collarbone and perfectly accentuated the smooth slope of your connecting neck and shoulders.  The multiple layers of your dressings were thin and shimmered with the mixed alabaster and silver silk threads.  Even the obi you adorned was a snowy white.  The purely silk uchikake kimono over your shoulders was translucent and trailed along the floor like a white river.

               He had no idea if you were aware, but the ensemble was nothing short of a bride's attire and Kuroo could only think of just how beautiful you looked in that moment.

               "Kuroo...?"

               When you spoke his name, it was as if his heart had burst open right then and there.

               Taking one last deep breath to calm himself, the male crossed the room with swift strides and soon stood before you.  He could see bewilderment and a hint of apprehension in your expression, but that did not hinder the cat as he grabbed your wrist and pulled you towards him.  A muffled yelp left you from the sudden tug and you dug your white tabi-adorned heels into the ground in order to steady yourself.

               "What are you-!" you started to question, only for the Bakeneko to cut you off.

               "We're going back," Kuroo replied with a tone that left no room for arguments.  That did not mean, however, that you would not force in your own words.

               "I can't," you spoke evenly and tried to retrieve your wrist, though to no avail. “I have to-"

               "You don't have to do anything!" the Bakeneko interjected once more with a sudden fierceness that startled you quiet. “I'm not letting you go!  I found you first back then!  Before these pricks, before those Roadless, before the foxes!  That time, before leaving, you promised to come back to me...!" Kuroo's voice dropped softer with every word until he spoke in a mere, but harsh whisper.  His mess of black hair hung as his head bowed and his furred ears flattened against the locks in a rare display of helplessness. “After everything," he whispered with his face hanging just over your own, "I wanted to take you back to those maple trees and have that lunch you promised me."

               Perhaps it was regret or even guilt that made the male screw his gaze shut and unable to look you in the eye even though his hands loosely gripped your own while he was close enough to brush his nose against yours.  He knew you would understand his words.  Maybe if, back then, he had decided to return as you were expecting and had spent his time waiting for you by your side instead of merely watching, you would be back in the apartment lying with him in that autumn sun he knew you loved.  The two of you would have had the time to talk the night away until you could keep your eyes open no longer and fell asleep against him.  He could have tipped you off about those foxes so you would not have tip toed around your best friends for over three years.  He could have been with you instead of leaving you both alone.  Kuroo wanted to believe he could have changed everything in your life for the better in some way if he had only not been so scared of losing you earlier.  Yet, here you stood before him in one of the worst possible outcomes he could have imagined.

              "Kuroo." Your voice was steady and calm, but it only caused the male's tension to rise as he squeezed your hands within his hold.  A soft sigh left you.

               "You know, I've had a lot of time to think while I've been here.  I thought it would be good for me to spend my time reminding myself why I chose to come." You slipped a hand free of the Bakeneko's grasp and softly brushed some of his hair out of his face.  Kuroo leaned into your touch, but his eyes remained closed.

               "This whole time, all I've thought of are my favourite memories since high school.  I remembered how Oikawa once stupidly ate half of his taiyaki in one bite and nearly choked to death like a moron." You laughed softly and moved to run your fingers through the cat's hair.  A furred ear flicked when your nail brushed against it.

               "One time, Hajime-kun had me help him practise his receives and the volleyball we were using got stuck in a tree.  I ended up to riding his shoulders to reach it and I got the ball, but I was too scared to hop down and we had to wait fifteen minutes for Oikawa to show up and help me off." Your voice cracked on the last word and Kuroo had to bite back a wince at the sound.  Still, he could not bring himself to look at your face and he simply let your voice surrounded him in the darkness of his blocked vision.

               "Not even four years...is a really short time, you know?" You sounded breathless and as if you were restraining yourself from crumbling any further. “I thought I would run out of reasons why I'm doing this and run away, but I didn't.  Even when my memories of those two started to run out, I remembered how I helped that girl from my old high school.  I remembered how happy Kenma was when Yachi-chan and I thanked him for saving us.  Those two are also relying on a replacement Daughter in their own ways, aren't they?" Your fingers in his hair stopped.

               "But, you know, in the end, the person I couldn't stop thinking of was you." So light that it was barely there, you lowered your hand to brush against Kuroo's cheek before his free hand swiftly grabbed it and he pressed your trembling palm to his skin.

               "You're so annoying and can never seem to let people off easy.  If you'll find it the slightest bit fun, you don't care at whose expense it will be for your entertainment." Your thumb brushed against his face and you were shaking where the male could feel you pressed against him. “Yet, when you went quiet for those three days, I was so worried.  I missed being greeted every single time I came home even if I left for just two minutes.  I wanted to hear you laughing at me when I messed up.  It didn't feel right without someone teasing me for my every mistake.  You don't know how relieved I was when I saw you stuffing my dinner in your mouth like an idiot." You laughed once more, the sound causing both a pleasant hum and a wrenching ache in the dark-haired male's chest.  When your other hand came up to also cup his face, Kuroo's followed it and he let his forehead fall softly to rest against your own.

               "I liked having you with me.  Those days that you became a part of my routine are as important to me as any other happy memory.  I'm glad I met you.  You're part of my life, Kuroo, so I want to do what I can for you." Softly, so softly did your breath caress his lips as you spoke.  He could picture you so vividly in his mind with lively eyes reflecting the adoration you spoke of.  Your lips curled just the slightest in a sincere smile.  It was all so clearly painted that the Bakeneko refused to actually look at you and accept the reality of the situation.

               "I’m sorry it's late, but thank you for everything."

               When a soft warmth pressed against his lips, Kuroo's eyes snapped open.

               Just as your face came into focus, you were already pulling back with a smile.  Your body had stopped shaking and your eyes were bright with satisfaction.  The black cat only realised his mouth was agape when you laughed lightly and moved a hand to push his chin back up.  You lingered there for a moment before brushing your knuckles against the male's lips and then slowly traced the contours of his face with your thumb.  Your expression softened as you pulled both your hands away from the Bakeneko, but your touch still lingered on his skin.  When you opened your mouth to speak once more, the ink-haired male finally snapped himself back to reality.

               "That's enough!" he interrupted a little harsher than he intended and even startled himself somewhat.  You moved to shuffle back a bit after the outburst, but Kuroo grabbed you by the shoulders to keep you in place.  His grip was solid, but not strong enough to hurt you.

               "It's already enough, so don't say anything else." The entity grit his teeth as he stared you in the eyes. “I still can't believe, after everything I did to convince you otherwise, that you actually chose to come here and give up your life.  I save your skin from monsters, lose sleep to make sure no one tries to kidnap you, get beaten up by your friends, and then I go through the ridiculous amount of trouble it takes to sneak in here just to hear you say you're doing this for 'my sake' and whatnot.  You turned out to be an even more obstinate and selfish brat than I thought you'd be."

               Your expression immediately shifted to one of mixed indignity and confusion, but the male still had more to say.

               "You're not the only selfish one here, though."

               Fluidly and swiftly, the cat's left hand came up behind your head and forced it to face to the side.  A choked gasp left you at the sudden movement, but the Bakeneko did not hesitate.  Without any warning, Kuroo plunged his sharpened canines into the exposed flesh of your neck and shoulder.

               "Ow!  Kuroo what-!" you tried to interrogate the male as he backed away from the bite, but he soon cut you off with a sudden kiss.  There was the slightest hint of copper on his tongue, but the entity pulled away as quickly as he had initiated the lip-lock.  Muttered words left the cat in a slur before he dragged his sleeve across his mouth for a quick clean.

               "Sorry, I guess that'll end up dirtying your clothes," Kuroo apologised casually as his tongue swiped his lips for any remaining stains.  When you pressed your fingers against the aching spot at the junction of your left shoulder and neck, you flinched slightly at the feeling of warm liquid beneath your fingertips.  You were not that surprised at that point to find your skin tainted crimson when you retrieved your hand.

               "Kuroo, what did you-" your flustered attempt at questioning the cat was cut off once more, this time by the sound of someone knocking against the bamboo frame of the entrance.

               "I apologise for the interruption, but you're out of time," the baritone voice echoed slightly in the spacious room.  The Bakeneko immediately pivoted to face the new arrival as his tail fluffed angrily and lip curled back in a threatening snarl, his body protectively barring yours.  From the doorway, toffee-hued irises watched the cat with caution, but little to no apprehension.

               "Kuroo." Behind him, you tugged at his sleeve and shook your head lightly when he turned to look at you. “I'm the only one, so I have to go."

               When you gave the male an honest smile without any hint of worry or regret, he had no way or form to describe the splintering ache in his chest but as heartbreak.

               You grabbed one of Kuroo's hands and squeezed it lightly before bringing it up and brushing your lips against his palm.  With another smile, this one thinner and more melancholic, you let go of his hand and stepped past him.  No matter how much he mentally screamed for you to stop and to not go, he was physically numb and paralysed.  As you reached Ushijima by the door, the entity stepped aside to reveal another male behind him.  Somewhat smaller in stature and with neatly parted ochre locks, he was dressed similarly to the imposing Heavenly Dog save for his dark blue kimono rather than violet.  Without a word, the other entity led you down the hall and away from the Bakeneko.  As you exited out of sight, Kuroo could still see a peaceful smile tilting your lips.

               The ink-haired cat was left behind in the silence of the room.

               "It's not a comfort, but there was no other option," Ushijima's words echoed slightly in the spacious surroundings. “There were not even half a dozen Daughters at this time, and none of them were even close to of age except for her.  She did it so you and the others could continue living."

               "Is that"—Kuroo's amber eyes flashed in rage as he turned a livid snarl in the other entity's direction—“what you fed her to get her to agree, you overinflated dove?"

               Despite the aggression, the cafe-haired male remained calm. “It has always been a voluntary system.  You and I both know that it was her choice."

               "Bullshit!" Kuroo denied fiercely and his body tensed, ready to launch himself at the other male.

               "Just like it was your choice to bind your life to hers." Ushijima's words held a tone of finality to the conversation.  The Bakeneko could not argue in any case as his throat constricted at the reminder of his hasty actions earlier.  The black cat only glared as harshly as he could whilst the bitter flavour of your blood still lingered on his tongue.

               "After the ceremony is over, I'll discuss it with the upper ranks.  You should at least be able to spend the rest of your time by her side, however short that is." Bronze eyes held the cat's amber gaze coolly.

               "I—we—don't need your pity," Kuroo hissed.  In a rare display of ire, the other entity let out a sigh.

               "Don't be mistaken, cat," Ushijima spoke somewhat derisively. “You should be aware that Daughter's are granted whatever they require, as is possible of us, in order to rest in peace.  This one asked for yours and the others’ health and future.  While we can't guarantee that in full, separating you from her would have a negative impact upon the former status."

               Faced with cold and unflinching logic, the ink-haired male could only grit his teeth and glare in a last act of defiance.  His fingers curled into his palms and his nails surely cut through the skin as his fists shook in frustration, but the Bakeneko was still too numb to register or even care for the minor injuries.

               "You should pay your respects to her devotion," Ushijima chided, yet without a hint of sarcasm.  Perhaps it was the sincerity in his advice that toppled the last of Kuroo's anger and denial.  With no more words to be spared, the Heavenly Dog exited the chamber.  His heavy footfalls echoed in the halls and resounded in time with the mounting seconds that Kuroo spent alone in the empty room before fading from existence.

               No longer under the scrutiny of anyone's gaze, the cat's legs gave out from beneath him as the reality of the situation slowly soaked into his being and the words he desperately wished he could have spoken sooner left him in a broken whisper.

               "Don't leave me..."

* * *

               The sharp scent of field grass and crushed dandelion filled the air.  Spring blossoms and other flowering stalks dotted the landscape and through the unkempt lawn ran a singular creek, the soft trickle of its water the only tune in the still air.  From the unseen ceiling came a soft light to permanently light the area, but not so bright that it would resemble the day.  Sometimes, from the direction of the entrance to the grand set up enclosed within dark slate walls, a soft breeze would make its way in.  Made of the same molten rock as the room, a rectangular well sat in the middle of the natural scenery.  Flora of all colours, sizes, classes, and so forth filled the stone case to form a bed of petals and stalks.  Amongst the myriad of floral dyes was a body of pure white.  Adorned in their snowy robes and ivory accessories, they slept, awaiting for when their romantic bed of blossoms would become nothing but a slate coffin.

               Against the scenic greens and flowers, a single robe of crimson red rested at one side of the open grave.

               Hair with a blackness like ink stood in stark contrast against the male's clothes.  Feline ears nestled among the ruffled locks and a languidly swaying tail bore fur in the same stain.  Half-lidded and flicking around in drowsiness, ochre irises glowed just the slightest in the dim lighting and his oval pupils were dilated ever so slightly.  Faint, but still visible, the sickly purple hue that bled below his eyes was a testament to the cat's weariness.  His entire body seemed listless as he slumped over the edge of the rock bed frame and rested his head atop the edge with his arm as a stand-in pillow.

               "Hey, so today, Kenma left a message.  He says the world outside has really changed." His voice was airy as if his vocal chords were too stiff from a lack of use to properly resonate with his speech. “In the time we've spent here, it seems like everyone managed to move forward.  I was really worried about Kenma, you know?  But, even after everything, that guy is seriously strong.  Ridiculously so." A dry chuckle passed his lips, the vibrations slightly muffled by the fabric of his sleeve.

               "If I was maybe as strong as him, we might have had a much nicer spot to rest together."

               Only the soft splashes of running water answered the male.

               "I wonder how long it’s been.  It’s hard to tell time in Yomi, but I guess that sort of thing becomes pretty irrelevant when you don't die for a long while." Triangular ears flicked and the entity fell silent for a few moments.  In a small world without a moving sun or any changes made by the hands of time, a moment may have been an eternity or vice versa for the entity.

               "Hey."

               His voice bounced back off of the stone walls in a lonely echo.

               "I’m kind of tired, princess.  Will you forgive me if I take a nap?"

               True to his word, the edges of his amber gaze were starting to blur together and blinking became a fight to reopen his eyes.

               "I’ve been doing my best to stay awake just for your sake so I could see you as soon as you wake up, but making you wait a little wouldn’t hurt, right?  I’ve been waiting a long time myself."

               He was lying.  He knew the body before him would never move again and he knew that they would never wait another moment for him.  When a rare breeze blew through the enclosed field and pushed a stray petal upon the resting person's face, the male brushed his knuckles against their icy cheek as he removed the floral debris.

               "Heh, you always complained about how cold I felt, but you’re the cold one now.  Sorry, but I really need to close my eyes.  I’ll be seeing you soon, though, so don’t worry."

               One more airy laugh left the cat as he nestled further into the crook of his elbow and his eyes slowly slid close, staring at the other's face the whole time.

               "Goodnight."

* * *

_-The most painful of goodbyes are never spoken_

_Mine were hidden under a guise of "I love you"-_

* * *

完


End file.
